Above the mouth of the players tunnel at Ellis Park, where England will walk out to play South Africa on 4 July, there is a sign. It will be the start of an itinerary that takes England far and wide, as well as high. In 2025 England played two Tests against Argentina, with a match against the USA on their way home. In 2024 they took on Japan before flying on to play New Zealand twice. The new Nations Championship, which pits the best teams from the two hemispheres against each other over the year, demands more stops.

Source: BBC February 23, 2026 21:33 UTC