Know the opposition: Who are the Vodacom Bulls?
Everything you need to know about the Vodacom Bulls
After victories over the DHL Stormers and Hollywoodbets Sharks, the All Blacks will face the Vodacom Bulls on Saturday 15 August local time (Sunday 16 August, 5am NZT), before turning their attention to the opening Test against the Springboks at 10bet Ellis Park a week later.
Who are the Vodacom Bulls?
Based in Pretoria, the Vodacom Bulls are one of the heavyweight names of South African rugby and play their home matches at Loftus Versfeld.
The professional Bulls franchise grew out of the proud Northern Transvaal and Blue Bulls rugby tradition, with the Northern Transvaal Rugby Union established in 1938.
The region won its first Currie Cup in 1946 and went on to become one of the dominant forces in South African domestic rugby.
The Bulls were also South Africa’s most successful team during the Super Rugby era, winning three titles.
Their breakthrough came in 2007 before further championships followed in 2009 and 2010, during a golden period featuring some of the biggest names in Springbok rugby, including Victor Matfield, Fourie du Preez, Bakkies Botha and Morné Steyn.
The Bulls now compete in the United Rugby Championship alongside the Sharks, Stormers and Lions from South Africa and leading teams from Ireland, Wales, Scotland and Italy.
They also compete in European club rugby, while the Bulls XV represents the union in South Africa’s Currie Cup.
A Super Rugby powerhouse
New Zealand rugby supporters will need little introduction to the Bulls.
During the height of Super Rugby, clashes with the Pretoria-based side were among the toughest assignments on the calendar, particularly at Loftus Versfeld.
The Bulls became the first South African franchise to win Super Rugby when they defeated the Sharks in the 2007 final.
Two years later they claimed another title before successfully defending it in 2010, giving the franchise three championships in four seasons.
That remains the most successful Super Rugby record of any South African franchise.
Still among South Africa’s best
The Bulls remain one of the leading sides in South African club rugby.
They reached the United Rugby Championship Grand Final in both 2025 and 2026, with their latest campaign ending in a 36–7 defeat to Leinster at Croke Park in Dublin in June.
Their road to the 2026 final included a 45–14 quarter-final victory over Munster at Loftus Versfeld and a dramatic 22–21 semifinal win over defending champions Glasgow Warriors in Scotland.
That run made the Bulls the only South African team to reach the 2026 URC Grand Final and underlined the size of the challenge awaiting the All Blacks in Pretoria.
Who coaches the Bulls?
Former Springbok lock Johan Ackermann is the Bulls’ head coach.
Ackermann was appointed in 2025 and guided the side to the URC Grand Final in his first season in charge.
He previously coached the Lions during one of the most successful periods in that franchise's history before taking up roles overseas in England and Japan.
The Bulls have undergone some changes ahead of the new season, with Ackermann looking to evolve the squad following the departures of players including Ruan Nortje, Wilco Louw and Kurt-Lee Arendse.
New arrivals include Curwin Bosch, Thaakir Abrahams and Hanro Liebenberg.
WATCH: 10 Great All Blacks v Springboks tries
A production line for Springboks
The Bulls and the wider Blue Bulls system have produced some of the greatest players in South African rugby history.
Victor Matfield and Bakkies Botha formed one of the most celebrated locking combinations of the professional era, while Fourie du Preez became one of the world's leading halfbacks.
Bryan Habana was part of the Bulls side that won the 2007 Super Rugby title, while Morné Steyn became synonymous with the franchise through his tactical kicking and ability to deliver in the biggest moments.
More recent Bulls teams have continued to supply players to the Springboks, maintaining Pretoria's reputation as one of South African rugby's major talent factories.
The world famous arena Loftus Versfeld
Few grounds in world rugby carry the history of Loftus Versfeld.
The site was first used as a sports field in 1906, with the stadium later named Loftus Versfeld in 1932 in honour of Robert Owen Loftus Versfeld, an important figure in the development of organised sport in Pretoria.
Sitting more than 1,300 metres above sea level in Pretoria, Loftus has traditionally presented visiting teams with the additional challenge of playing at altitude.
For decades, the stadium has hosted some of South African rugby's biggest provincial, franchise and international matches and remains one of the country's most recognisable rugby venues.
WATCH: Highlights from the All Blacks clash against the Sharks (available in selected territories)
The Bulls and New Zealand rugby
The Bulls became extremely familiar opponents for New Zealand teams during the Super Rugby era.
Their rise in the mid-to-late 2000s coincided with some memorable battles against New Zealand opposition, with Loftus Versfeld establishing a reputation as one of the competition's toughest away venues.
Perhaps the most famous came in the 2009 Super 14 final, when the Bulls defeated the Chiefs in Pretoria to secure their second championship.
A year later they went back-to-back, completing a remarkable period in which they won three titles in four seasons.
Although South Africa's franchises moved away from Super Rugby following the 2020 season, the Bulls' encounters with New Zealand sides remain an important part of the shared history between the two countries.
What's at stake?
The Bulls represent the All Blacks’ final match before the Test portion of the Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry Tour begins.
Following matches against the Stormers in Cape Town and Sharks in Durban, the All Blacks face the Bulls at Loftus Versfeld on Saturday 15 August local time.
They will then travel to Johannesburg for the opening Test against the Springboks at Ellis Park on Saturday 22 August, before returning to franchise opposition against the Lions later in the tour.
The Bulls reached the most recent URC Grand Final and their coach has stressed that Saturday's encounter is being treated as a full match rather than a pre-season exercise.
It shapes as the All Blacks' biggest franchise challenge of the tour so far and their final opportunity to build momentum in match conditions before the four-Test series against the Springboks gets underway.
WATCH: Re-live the historic 2007 Super Rugby Final between the Bulls and Sharks
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