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The Rugby Championship

Carl Mullen signs rugby ball for small boy

Introduction

The Southern Hemisphere's premier International Rugby competition which includes Argentina, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. The competition was called the Tri-Nations until 2011 when Argentina joined.

See The Rugby Championship Trophy

8th November 2011

championship
Photo by Getty (click to purchase)

Argentina was confirmed alongside South Africa, New Zealand and Australia to play from 2012 in “The Rugby Championship” – the exciting and ground-breaking replacement for the Tri-Nations series.

After several months of negotiations with the Unión Argentina de Rugby (UAR) and the International Rugby Board (IRB), the SANZAR Joint Venture partners have invited Argentina to join the tournament. An agreement confirming Argentina’s participation was signed in Auckland.

“The invitation to Argentina to join the Championship is a defining moment for Southern Hemisphere rugby and significant for world rugby,”

“The regular participation of Argentina at a higher level is long overdue and we are excited about their inclusion in The Rugby Championship. Playing in the Championship will have significant benefits for Argentinian rugby as a whole and will bring new energy to the jewel in the crown of SANZAR."

“The Pumas, as they showed at the recent Rugby World Cup, play an exciting and different brand of rugby to the other three teams, which will definitely add a new dimension,”

“The Rugby Championship is an annual contest between the ‘best-of-the-best’ in world rugby - nations who have won six of the seven Rugby World Cups”

- SANZAR CEO, Greg Peters.

 

The new name of The Rugby Championship reflects its claim to be the ultimate contest, featuring teams that are currently ranked first, second, fourth and seventh in the world. The President of the UAR, Luis Castillo, has described his country’s inclusion as an historic moment for rugby in Argentina.

“The Argentine Rugby Union and Argentinean rugby community is proud to be part of this great tournament,” he said. “We will work to maintain high standards in our rugby, with our ultimate goal being to keep generating resources for the development of rugby at the clubs”

- President of the UAR, Luis Castillo

 

“For years Argentinean Rugby has been seeking to participate regularly in a tournament like this. Playing in The Rugby Championship makes us really proud and will compel us to work harder at what we are doing. We must celebrate being part of this tournament”

- UAR High Performance Chairman, Manuel Galindo

Argentina’s participation in The Rugby Championship has been welcomed by the SANZAR Joint Venture partners.

"Argentina is a proud rugby nation and their passionate charge to the semi-finals of the Rugby World Cup in 2007 was certainly a feature of that tournament in France."

"They have waited a long time to play in a regular competition at the highest level and their inclusion into The Rugby Championship from 2012 provides that opportunity."

"The expansion of the Championship, following this year's new-look format for Super Rugby with the addition of a 15th team in the Melbourne Rebels, is also further proof that SANZAR continues to be the innovative leader of the international game."

"We have come a long way since the professional era dawned with a Super 12 competition and a two-round Tri-Nations series between the Wallabies, All Blacks and Springboks."

"Our international footprint has been significantly increased at both Super Rugby and Test level and the launching of The Rugby Championship next year will be the latest exciting chapter in the ongoing evolution of SANZAR."

- Australian Rugby Union (ARU) Managing Director and CEO, John O’Neill

 

“This is a significant moment in the history of Southern Hemisphere rugby and marks the launching pad to a dramatically changed landscape."

“The inclusion of South Africa’s old friends from Argentina is a great day for rugby and recognises the rich history and passion for the sport in the rugby community in that country."

“It will add a new flavour and dimension to SANZAR rugby and offers the prospect of promoting rugby in other South American nations."

“It also ensures a more logical and balanced Championship with fixtures and travel evened out across the region.”

- South African Rugby Union (SARU) CEO, Jurie Roux

 

“The 2011 Rugby World Cup demonstrated exactly how exciting matches between our four countries can be."

“Argentina fully deserves to be part of the best annual rugby competition in the world and their presence in the Championship – as well as the inclusion of Sevens rugby in the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro – help the global expansion of the game."

“Outside of the Rugby World Cup, the Pumas last played in New Zealand in June 2004.  As we saw during the tournament, their colourful and lively fans will be sure to add something special to The Rugby Championship."

“This Championship will ensure fans get to see more of the outstanding, hard hitting and exciting rugby for which our SANZAR nations are known as well as the flair and unpredictable style of rugby that Argentina is sure to bring”

- CEO of the New Zealand Rugby Union (NZRU), Steve Tew

 

“Argentinean rugby as a whole should be proud of this achievement.”

“After many years of history and the hard work of many generations of players on and off the pitch, Argentinean rugby will be part of the toughest and most prestigious tournament in the Southern Hemisphere,”

- Former Pumas scrumhalf, Agustin Pichot, the UAR’s SANZAR Representative who has led its negotiations with SANZAR

31st May, 2012

Fixtures finalized (see below).

ANZAR CEO Greg Peters said it was exciting to enter a bold new chapter into rugby history, "with the long anticipated introduction of the Pumas into the world"'s best international competition, The Rugby Championship."

"The original Tri-Nations combatants have won six of the seven Rugby World Cups, while Argentina is a side that has proved its capabilities during Rugby World Cups," Peters added.

"Since the Tri-Nations began in 1996, Argentina has beaten England, France, Ireland, Scotland and Australia; and it is exciting to see one of the biggest developments for international rugby in South America.

"The passion and excitement of the Pumas"' style of play and that their fans exhibit will bring a totally new dimension to our pre-eminent international tournament."

The Rugby Championship"'s debut season kicks off on 18 August with the Wallabies hosting the All Blacks at ANZ Stadium in Sydney, while later that evening the Pumas will visit DHL Newlands for the first time, playing the Springboks to make their tournament entry.

Auckland, Mendoza, Perth, Wellington, the Gold Coast, Dunedin, Pretoria and La Plata round out the locations for the six-round, eight-week competition, with the final match to be played at the near 95,000-seat FNB Stadium in Soweto, where the Springboks will look to avenge their thrilling 29-22 loss to the All Blacks in 2010.

Notably there are two bye weeks to allow for travel in what will be arguably the toughest international tournament in world rugby, outside of the Rugby World Cup.

"The Pumas"' introduction and location ensures that there will be tough travelling schedules for all involved," Peters said.

"To balance this, the fixtures have been scheduled in three two-week blocks with week-long travel byes in between."

Rugby World Cup-winning former All Black coach Graham Henry has insisted that he can take Argentina to another level as they prepare for the Rugby Championship.

Henry has been appointed technical consultant to the Pumas, who will compete for the first time in the Rugby Championships - formerly the Tri-Nations - against New Zealand, Australia and South Africa.

"Argentina are faced with a very important challenge but we need this in order to improve because we can't improve by playing the weakest, we need to play the strongest,"

"My job with the coaches is to exchange ideas, and help them improve their game," explained Henry, who led the All Blacks for seven years but stepped down after leading them to glory at last year's World Cup on home soil.

"I'm going to work five weeks here, another two in New Zealand and Australia. I would like to help more but I have my family and they are at present by main responsibility."

- Graham Henry, former New Zealand and Wales coach.

Henry's role will be to work closely for seven weeks with head coach Santiago Phelan during preparations for international matches.

The 65-year-old, who was previously known as 'The Great Redeemer' for his work during four years with Wales, explained that his love of the game had been too much for him just to retire.

"Rugby is in my blood. Coaching is like a disease. I like coaching and I like the game. Argentina is a challenge and I enjoy a challenge. I also respect the people here. They are good people, good rugby people, so this is also a privilege for me."

"I think that Argentinian rugby is in good shape, as they did well in the last two World Cups."

"We've begun a process, and I'm impressed with all the information that I've received from the coaches. I hope that my ideas will be useful and allow them to continue to improve."

"This tournament is a big opportunity. We could feel inhibited but we could also give our best."

Praising the Puma "character, personality and fighting spirit", he added: "they defend very well, they only need to score more tries, that's all."

- Graham Henry, former New Zealand and Wales coach.

Phelan added: "It's with pride that Graham helps us. The Pumas staff are very keen to show him how we work so that he can give us his vision and apply his concepts."

The Pumas will play their inaugural Four Nations match against South Africa, on August 25, at the Estadio Malvinas Argentinas in the western city of Mendoza.

The First Rugby Championship Fixtures

SANZAR confirmed the draw for the inaugural edition of The Rugby Championship in 2012, which saw each side facing the others twice – home and away – for a total of 12 matches.

The 2012 Championship kicked-off on 18 August 2012 and concluded on 6 October 2012.

To balance the additional travel requirements, the fixtures were scheduled in two-week blocks with week-long travel byes in-between. This ensured there was adequate recovery time for the teams.

A SANZAR delegation travelled to Argentina in November on a fact-finding visit to conduct venue inspections and hold discussions with the UAR, host broadcasters and other key stakeholders to ensure the smooth transition from Tri-Nations to The Rugby Championship.

Past Standings

The winner is determined by a points system:

  • 4 points for a win
  • 2 points for a draw
  • 0 points for a loss

Bonus points may also be earned and count toward deciding the series winner. A maximum of two bonus points can be obtained:

  • The Attacking bonus point by scoring four or more tries in the match, regardless of the final result.
  • The Defending bonus point by losing by seven points or less.

2016

Team Played Won Drawn Lost For Against Points
difference
Bonus
points
Total
points
New Zealand 6 6 0 0 262 84 178 6 30
Australia 6 3 0 3 119 147 -28 1 13
South Africa 6 2 0 4 117 180 -63 2 10
Argentina 6 1 0 5 129 216 -87 1 5

 

Date Teams Results Venue
09 OCT 2016 South Africa v New Zealand 15 - 57 Growthpoint Kings Park
09 OCT 2016 Argentina v Australia 21 - 33 Twickenham
02 OCT 2016 South Africa v Australia 18 - 10 Loftus Versfeld
02 OCT 2016 Argentina v New Zealand 17 - 36 Estadio Jose Amalfitani
17 SEP 2016 New Zealand v South Africa 41 - 13 AMI Stadium
17 SEP 2016 Australia v Argentina 36 - 20 nib Stadium
10 SEP 2016 Australia v South Africa 23 - 17 Suncorp Stadium
10 SEP 2016 New Zealand v Argentina 57 - 22 FMG Stadium Waikato
28 AUG 2016 Argentina v South Africa 26 - 24 Padre Ernesto Martearena Stadium
27 AUG 2016 New Zealand v Australia 29 - 09 Westpac Stadium
21 AUG 2016 South Africa v Argentina 30 - 23 Mbombela Stadium
20 AUG 2016 Australia v New Zealand 08 - 42 ANZ Stadium, Sydney

2015

Team Played Won Drawn Lost For Against Points
difference
Bonus
points
Total
points
Australia 3 3 0 0 85 48 37 1 13
New Zealand 3 2 0 1 85 65 20 1 9
Argentina 3 1 0 2 64 98 -34 1 5
South Africa 3 0 0 3 65 88 -23 2 2

 

Date Teams Results Venue
08 AUG 2015 South Africa v Argentina 25 - 37 Growthpoint Kings Park
08 AUG 2015 Australia v New Zealand 27 - 19 ANZ Stadium, Sydney
25 JUL 2015 Argentina v Australia 09 - 34 Estadio Malvinas Argentinas, Mendoza
25 JUL 2015 South Africa v New Zealand 20 - 27 Emirates Airlines Park
18 JUL 2015 Australia v South Africa 24 - 20 Suncorp Stadium
17 JUL 2015 New Zealand v Argentina 39 - 18 AMI Stadium

2014

Team Played Won Drawn Lost For Against Points
difference
Bonus
points
Total
points
New Zealand 6 4 1 1 164 91 73 4 22
South Africa 6 4 0 2 134 110 24 3 19
Australia 6 2 1 3 115 160 -45 1 10
Argentina 6 1 0 5 105 157 -52 3 3

 

Date Teams Results Venue
04 OCT 2014 Argentina v Australia 21 - 17 Estadio Malvinas Argentinas, Mendoza
04 OCT 2014 South Africa v New Zealand 27 - 25 Ellis Park Stadium
27 SEP 2014 Argentina v New Zealand 13 - 34 Estadio Ciudad de La Plata
27 SEP 2014 South Africa v Australia 28 - 10 DHL Newlands
13 SEP 2014 Australia v Argentina 32 - 25 Cbus Super Stadium, Gold Coast
13 SEP 2014 New Zealand v South Africa 14 -10 Westpac Stadium
06 SEP 2014 Australia v South Africa 24 - 23 Patersons Stadium, Perth
06 SEP 2014 New Zealand v Argentina 28 - 09 McLean Park, Napier
23 AUG 2014 Argentina v South Africa 31 - 33 Estadio Padre Ernesto Martearena, Salta
23 AUG 2014 New Zealand v Australia 51 - 20 Eden Park, Auckland
16 AUG 2014 South Africa v Argentina 13 - 6 Loftus Versfeld Stadium, Pretoria
16 AUG 2014 Australia v New Zealand 12 - 12 ANZ Stadium, Sydney

2013

The 2013 Rugby Championship, known as The Castle Rugby Championship in South Africa, The Investec Rugby Championship in New Zealand, The Castrol Edge Rugby Championship in Australia and The Personal Rugby Championship in Argentina for sponsorship reasons

Team Played Won Drawn Lost For Against Points
difference
Bonus
points
Total
points
New Zealand 6 6 0 0 202 115 87 4 28
South Africa 6 4 0 2 203 117 86 3 19
Australia 6 2 0 4 133 153 -20 1 9
Argentina 6 0 0 6 88 224 -136 2 2

 

Date Teams Results Venue
05 OCT 2013 Argentina v Australia 17 - 54 Estadio Gigante de arroyito, Rosario
05 OCT 2013 South Africa v New Zealand 27 - 38 Ellis Park Stadium
28 SEP 2013 Argentina v New Zealand 15 - 33 Estadio Ciudad de La Plata
28 SEP 2013 South Africa v Australia 28 - 08 Newlands
14 SEP 2013 Australia v Argentina 14 - 13 Patersons Stadium
14 SEP 2013 New Zealand v South Africa 29 - 15 Eden Park
07 SEP 2013 Australia v South Africa 12 - 38 Suncorp Stadium
07 SEP 2013 New Zealand v Argentina 28 - 13 Waikato Stadium
24 AUG 2013 Argentina v South Africa 17 - 22 Estadio Malvinas Argentinas, Mendoza
24 AUG 2013 New Zealand v Australia 27 - 16 Westpac Stadium
17 AUG 2013 South Africa v Argentina 73 - 13 FNB Stadium
17 AUG 2013 Australia v New Zealand 29 - 47 ANZ Stadium

2012

For sponsorship reasons, the competition was known as The Castle Rugby Championship in South Africa, The Investec Rugby Championship in New Zealand, The Castrol Edge Rugby Championship in Australia and The Personal Rugby Championship in Argentina.

Team Played Won Drawn Lost For Against Points
difference
Bonus
points
Total
points
New Zealand 6 6 0 0 177 66 95 2 26
Australia 6 3 0 3 101 137 -36 2 12
South Africa 6 2 1 3 120 109 11 2 12
Argentina 6 0 1 5 80 166 -86 2 4

Results

Date Teams Results Venue
06 OCT 2012 Argentina v Australia 19 - 25 Estadio Gigante de arroyito, Rosario
06 OCT 2012 South Africa v New Zealand 16 - 32 FNB Stadium, Soweto
29 SEP 2012 Argentina v New Zealand 15 - 54 Estadio Ciudad de La Plata
29 SEP 2012 South Africa v Australia 31 - 08 Loftus Versfeld
15 SEP 2012 Australia v Argentina 23 - 19 Skilled Park
15 SEP 2012 New Zealand v South Africa 21 - 11 Forsyth Barr Stadium
08 SEP 2012 Australia v South Africa 26 - 19 Subiaco Oval
08 SEP 2012 New Zealand v Argentina 21 - 05 Westpac Stadium
25 AUG 2012 Argentina v South Africa 16 - 16 Estadio Malvinas Argentinas
25 AUG 2012 New Zealand v Australia 22 - 00 Eden Park
18 AUG 2012 South Africa v Argentina 27 - 06 Newlands Rugby Stadium
18 AUG 2012 Australia v New Zealand 19 - 27 ANZ Stadium
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