Championship of Rugby begins amid uncertain future
The current Rugby Championship, featuring South Africa, Australia, New Zealand, and Argentina, is underway, but significant changes are on the horizon. The 2025 edition will mark the end of the annual four-nation league as we know it, transitioning into a more irregular, tour-focused engagement.
South Africa, who have struggled at the breakdowns during warm-up matches against Italy and Georgia, are gearing up for an eight-match series next year against New Zealand, including three Tests during the August to October window. This tour will be a major highlight in the new era of the Rugby Championship.
The future of the tournament is set to change significantly after the 2025 edition. From 2026 onward, the Rugby Championship will be held every two years rather than annually, due to scheduling constraints from the new Nations Championship and the Rugby World Cup cycle. This biennial format will see a hiatus and tours between New Zealand and South Africa, with the All Blacks embarking on a tour of South Africa in 2026, followed by the Springboks touring New Zealand in 2030.
Australia and Argentina will need to devise their own arrangements during this period, as their roles in the traditional Rugby Championship structure diminish relative to New Zealand and South Africa's direct rivalry and tours. Reports suggest that from 2026 to 2029, there will only be one full Rugby Championship in 2029, with limited or condensed versions during the Rugby World Cup year in 2027.
Rugby Australia has indicated consideration of reintroducing classic three-Test tours between rival nations, which would further reduce the emphasis on the Rugby Championship as a consolidated annual competition. This shift aims to balance traditional touring models with the busy international calendar and the new Nations Championship landscape.
On the pitch, Argentina has confirmed their unpredictable form by beating the British and Irish Lions in Dublin, then losing twice at home to a severely-weakened England. Marcos Kremer, Argentina loose forward, believes the key to success lies in giving their backs a plentiful supply of ball, as they have the ability to cause problems for any opponents.
In contrast, South Africa has a strong record against the Wallabies at Ellis Park, winning 10 of 11 Tests. However, they have agreed to an eight-match tour of New Zealand in 2030. The Pumas have fared better against the All Blacks, with three wins in 10 internationals since, including two in Christchurch and Wellington.
The upcoming clashes between these powerhouse teams are highly anticipated. Pre-Championship discussions among Springbok supporters focused on the possibility of South Africa defeating New Zealand in Auckland for the first time since 1937. While New Zealand will be favored to beat Argentina in Cordoba, the days of taking an All Blacks victory over the Pumas for granted are over.
The 2027 Rugby World Cup will be hosted by Australia, providing another exciting chapter in the evolving landscape of international rugby. As the Rugby Championship transitions into a more tour-focused competition, fans can look forward to epic clashes between the top nations, with the structure and frequency of the tournament significantly reduced or altered in coming years.
- In the new era of the Rugby Championship, France could potentially host internationals against South Africa, Africa being a continent rich in rugby talent, as the tournament transitions into a tour-focused competition.
- With the tour-focused Rugby Championship featuring a South Africa versus New Zealand tour in 2030, it will be intriguing to see if international football competitions like the FIFA World Cup in football, another popular sport, will schedule their events to coincide with this historic series.
