The Rugby Championship is set to take place in alternate years, with no tournament scheduled for 2026 due to New Zealand’s tour of South Africa.
Rugby Australia chief executive and former Wallabies flank Phil Waugh confirmed the plans in an interview with The Roar.
This comes as SA Rugby boss Rian Oberholzer revealed plans for a new eight-week “Greatest Rugby Rivalry” series between the Springboks and All Blacks, starting in 2026. The tours will alternate between the two nations every four years.
All Blacks coach Scott Robertson welcomed the idea, describing the extended tours as “awesome”, while Rugby Australia is reportedly making its own plans to address the impact on their calendar.
The change is set to significantly affect the structure of the Rugby Championship. Sanzaar nations had agreed to extend the competition until 2030, but with the new tours, the tournament will no longer be held every year.
Waugh confirmed in an interview with The Roar that the Rugby Championship will be staged in 2027 and 2029, but will not take place in 2026, 2028, or 2030.
“2026 and 2030 will be, potentially, the [SA vs NZ] series. We’re still working through the scheduling, but if the SA vs AB series was to go ahead, we’ll have at least two Bledisloe Cup games, hopefully three,” Waugh told The Roar.
“We’ll play South Africa at home at least once.”
Waugh clarified that the Rugby Championship trophy won’t be in contention during those years.
“Sanzaar hasn’t finalised everything, but I think the focus will be on series trophies rather than TRC during those seasons,” he added.
Photo: Dirk Kotze/Gallo Images/Getty Images
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Src: sarugbymag.co.za
