Freedom Cup
Rugby union trophy, South Africa vs. New Zealand
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The Freedom Cup (Afrikaans: Vryheidsbeker)[1] is a minor international rugby union trophy contested between South Africa and New Zealand, during The Rugby Championship and previously during The Rugby Championship's predecessor, the Tri Nations. It was first contested in 2004 (the 10 year anniversary of South African democracy), in a one-off test. The game, played at Ellis Park, Johannesburg was won 40–26 by South Africa. However, in the 2006 Tri Nations Series, it was contested in all three New Zealand–South Africa matches.
| Sport | Rugby union |
|---|---|
| Instituted | 2004 |
| Number of teams | 2 |
| Country | |
| Holders | |
| Most titles |
In 2006, New Zealand won the first two matches, winning the Freedom Cup for the first time, but during the post-match presentation following the third game which was won by South Africa, Supersport presenter Joost van der Westhuizen incorrectly presented the trophy to Springbok captain John Smit who accepted it in front of millions of television viewers. The mistake was later corrected, off-air.
Matches
As of 13 September 2025[update].
| Details | P | D | New Zealand points | South Africa points | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 18 | 13 | 4 | 1 | 528 | 310 | |
| 20 | 11 | 9 | 0 | 555 | 495 | |
| Neutral Venue [note 1] | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 48 | 48 |
| Overall | 40 | 25 | 14 | 1 | 1,131 | 853 |
Source:[2]
Results
See also
Notes
- Due to the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic, the two tests played during the 2021 Rugby Championship were both staged in Queensland Australia