New Zealand vs Australia: The best rivalries

All Blacks versus Wallabies. Kiwis versus Kangaroos. Black Caps versus Aussies.

Be it rugby union, rugby league, cricket, netball, New Zealand and Australia have always been heated rivals in sport, and it's no different in Supercars.

From the rising days of the Australian Touring Car Championship to the stoushes of modern-day stars, many battle-hardened New Zealanders have come across the Tasman to bully their Aussie counterparts.

In over 60 years of racing, a number of rivalries have been produced, and with five Kiwis on the 2025 grid, there could be more to come.

Ahead of Supercars' return to New Zealand, Supercars.com highlights five notable New Zealand-Australia rivalries that have shaped the championship's history.

Greg Murphy vs Marcos Ambrose

Marcos Ambrose was happy to take on anyone, and he more than one run-in with Greg Murphy. Their rivalry truly kicked off in 2004, when Ambrose brake-tested Murphy’s teammate Rick Kelly after the flag on the Gold Coast, leading to a tense debate in the press conference. A year later, they clashed at Bathurst, triggering a now infamous war of words trackside.

Shane van Gisbergen vs Jamie Whincup

Shane van Gisbergen and Jamie Whincup were teammates between 2016 and 2021 at Triple Eight, and at times, the tension boiled over on track. Think Pukekohe 2016, when Whincup sent van Gisbergen into a spin, or Sydney 2021, when they again clashed. Off track, it was professional and straight, but the duo often fought for wins, sometimes having to get stuck into each other chasing glory. Before their Triple Eight days, there were many great battles, such as their ding-dong fight for victory in Gold Coast 2010, and during van Gisbergen's surge with Tekno Autosports.

Jim Richards vs Mark Skaife

Long-time teammates at Gibson Motorsport, Jim Richards and Mark Skaife won Bathurst together three times in 1991, 1992 and 2002. However, they were pitted together for the championship in the early 1990s as Gibson Nissans left the field behind. Richards won in 1990 and 1991, before Skaife returned serve in 1992. While great teammates and still good friends to this day, Richards and Skaife had to beat each other.

Greg Murphy vs Russell Ingall

Greg Murphy never backed down from a fight, and Russell Ingall was full of fight. Clearly, it was a V8 rivalry match made in heaven. For over a decade, Murphy and Ingall went two-to-toe, from their early years in the mid- to late 1990s, to their twilight days. A notable clash came in Adelaide, when Ingall tipped Murphy into a spin in 2003. There was often the press conference biffo too, with Murphy not taking a keen liking to Ingall's curt comments on the Gold Coast.

Scott McLaughlin vs Jamie Whincup

Scott McLaughlin burst onto the scene as a teenager in 2013, and became a stronger force as Volvo arrived in 2014. Right from the outset, McLaughlin made a big statement in a stunning Adelaide battle, beating the reigning champ on the final lap. It went to another level as McLaughlin joined DJR Team Penske and Ford, with the duo fighting for the 2017 championship. It ended in controversy and drama, and a seventh crown for Whincup. It flicked the switch to a run of three titles for McLaughlin, but there was often a Whincup tangle, such as the Bathurst 2016 'redress' incident, or their clash at The Bend 2020.

Shane van Gisbergen vs Cam Waters

Van Gisbergen had his many Aussie foes, headlined by David Reynolds insisting "he's dead to me" in Phillip Island 2015. Clearly, van Gisbergen's chief rival was countryman Scott McLaughlin, but one driver that kept popping up in van Gisbergen's space was Cam Waters. If it wasn't McLaughlin or Whincup giving van Gisbergen headaches, it was Waters. In recent years, they put on some of the best battles in recent years, none better than their epic Pukekohe showdown.