Three magnificent Test matches, packed stadiums, controversial flyovers, words of war and pushing the boundaries of selection policies, this South Africa v New Zealand tour has had it all.

Now though, we have the damp squib of a match and the thought that all of that thunder from the three Tests will be settling into a stiff breeze in Baltimore, where a match that can only be described as a money-making mission for World Rugby will take place.

As a plain old rugby fan, this feels utterly hideous. It may even be up there with the third/fourth-place play-off at the Rugby World Cup.

Why Baltimore feels worse than a World Cup consolation

The reason for this game feeling potentially worse than being the ultimate bridesmaid at the World Cup is that the reason for this game taking place in Baltimore is for money and reviving the fading hopes that the Men’s Rugby World Cup in 2031 and the Women’s Rugby World Cup in 2033, that will both be hosted in the USA, will be a success.

Also read: When it’s the All Blacks’ time to pay the piper

Let me be clear on one thing, I don’t have a problem with hosting games around the world with neither team playing being the host country. SARU has cleverly tapped into the South African audience that lives near Twickenham, for instance, and created a healthy relationship with the Allianz Stadium to create commercial avenues.

The Boks deserve better

My problem is that this is a deciding Test match in a series between the current top two teams in the world and that has captivated the whole of the rugby sphere globally. South Africa has come from behind in a three-match race to lead 2-1, and they have a right to defend that lead in front of their home crowd.

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Baltimore and the M&T Bank Stadium will be a leveller of note. No Impi warriors, no hostile fans in Green and Gold and no feel of an incredibly diverse crowd coming to unite as one. Instead, just the hope that this will ignite something in the American public to get behind a sport they don’t truly understand.

American rugby’s dire reality

The MLR (Major League Rugby) is the domestic league in the USA and it is in dire straits right now. From 12 teams down to 6 in the 2026 season, it is now down to 5 with Anthem RC folding at the end of July. People will argue that South Africa and New Zealand only have 4 and 5 franchises playing in international tournaments respectively, but the long and short of this is that it leaves America with 1 professional rugby franchise per 10 states. The league is not economically sustainable, and I would have serious doubts about it even existing come the 2031 Men’s Rugby World Cup.

Following the money trail

It’s reported that both SARU and NZR will make over double the revenue from this match alone compared to any of the other three Tests. This includes a fee from World Rugby, who are trying to incentivise the top rugby nations to play Tests in America leading up to 2031.

Rian Oberholzer has previously stated that some of the main drivers were financially motivated.

“At SA Rugby, it is essential that we keep working on our financial stability. To do that, we have to take our brand wider than South Africa. We know the support we have in London, but the USA is an important market for us to grow into as we build towards 2031.”

If you are to put your business hat on, then you have to say it is a deal that you cannot turn down. With no Rugby Championship this year and the inability to capitalise on the amount of home matches you normally would be able to host because of the World Cup year of 2027, this makes sense, of course.

Pawns in World Rugby’s game

None of that revenue exists though without the 80 players and staff that had a flight chartered for them out of Johannesburg in the early hours of Sunday morning to become pawns in World Rugby’s game. The M&T Bank Stadium is one of the 27 venues being considered as a host stadium for 2031 and thankfully it is actually one of the stadiums that has a grass pitch. If it had been synthetic, I think I’d be buying a new table and chairs in my house whilst the emergency glazer would be fixing my windows. It wouldn’t have surprised me if they had done that, to be honest.

These players and staff deserve this tour to end in the right manner. A stadium shaking as players run onto a pitch in Pretoria, Nelspruit, Bloemfontein or any other major stadium in South Africa is how this series should be coming to a climax.

A hollow trophy presentation?

I can’t get the image out of my head of one of the possibilities either. Siya Kolisi and whoever takes over as captain from Ardie Savea at time of writing this, potentially separating a beautiful trophy into two pieces in front of a non-engaged audience of an already emptying stadium. The game needs to grow globally for sure, markets need to be tapped into, but my overriding view is that you should never forget the people that got you there in the first place.

Alienating the faithful

In 2018 SARU couldn’t fill a stadium as England rolled into town for a Test series and now they are in danger of alienating the people that rallied behind Rassie as they rose to the top.

Also read: Bok Captain gives match shorts to starstruck young fan

The fans have been outpriced over and over again and with the opportunity for the Springboks to raise yet another significant trophy for their fans to enjoy, sadly they won’t be able to do that in front of the South African faithful. I have absolutely no doubt that the players and staff will also be thinking similar thoughts should Kolisi lift both pieces of the trophy in the early hours of Sunday morning.

Always remember; you see the same people on the way up as you do on the way down.

The Greatest Rivalry deserves more

I really hope we get the same intensity for this Test as we have for the past three, but with kick-off timings also not favouring pub dwellers or the young South African fans that want to watch their heroes, I fear that the Greatest Rivalry may end with a virtual Asterix next to Test number 4.

Andy Daniel is the presenter of the Rugby Factory and of KickOff’s Tap ‘N Go aftermatch show, which discusses the Springbok vs All Blacks Greatest Rivalry Tests straight after the final whistle.