The Ruck

Rugby’s Greatest Rivals| Episode 6: The Incomparables and a rivalry reimagined

August 20, 2026·25 min
Episode Description from the Publisher

In episode 6 of our special series on the fierce rivalry between rugby’s superpowers, the sport is hurtling into the professional era.South Africa are world champions after 1995 but New Zealand are on the verge of one of their greatest moments. We hear from John Hart, who led the All Blacks on their 1996 tour of South Africa, as well as former players Sean Fitzpatrick, Ian Jones and Josh Kronfeld. Was theirs the greatest New Zealand side of all time? Plus, former Springbok Joel Stransky describes the team’s struggle to replicate the dizzying heights of ‘95. This podcast was produced and edited by Alfie Reynolds, with help from Hope Federico, Rob Wallace, Jamie Wall and David Whisson. Read more: Rugby’s Greatest Rivals: Springboks v All Blacks Clips: DSPN Rugby (John Hart interview)Photo: Getty Images Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Podzilla Summary coming soon

Sign up to get notified when the full AI-powered summary is ready.

Get Free Summaries →

Free forever for up to 3 podcasts. No credit card required.

Listen to This Episode

Get summaries like this every morning.

Free AI-powered recaps of The Ruck and your other favorite podcasts, delivered to your inbox.

Get Free Summaries →

Free forever for up to 3 podcasts. No credit card required.