Rugby Australia CEO Phil Waugh has confirmed that The Rugby Championship is set to take place only in alternate years and will not be held in 2026 due to the extended tour of New Zealand to South Africa revealed this week.
The boss of South African Rugby, Rian Oberholzer, announced plans for the ‘Greatest Rugby Rivalry’ tours. He says the groundwork is well underway for eight-week tours between South Africa and New Zealand every four years rotating through the two nations from 2026.
All Blacks coach Scott Robertson has hailed the advent of eight-week tours involving New Zealand and South Africa as an “awesome” idea and Rugby Australia say they have alternative plans of their own to tackle SANZAAR’s big two.
But the impact on The Rugby Championship will be significant. The SANZAAR countries had previously agreed deal extending TRC until 2030 and the news comes as RA and New Zealand Rugby work towards their next broadcast deals with the current deal expiring in 2025.
Waugh told The Roar that The Rugby Championship would likely proceed in 2027 and 2029 but not 2026, 2028 or 2030 as it stands.
“2026 and 2030 will be, potentially, the [SA vs NZ] series. We’re still working through the scheduling, but if the SAAB 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.”
Asked if those matches would be part of a series called The Rugby Championship in those years, Waugh replied: “No. I mean SANZAAR haven’t finalised any of that, but I think that you’d be focusing more on series trophies rather than a TRC trophy.”
Waugh said the 2027 TRC was likely to be a full home and away style TRC program because the World Cup was later in the year.
With every second year devoted to TRC and the alternate years set aside for a “tour-like concept”, Waugh believes the program will be well received by Australian rugby fans and drive fan engagement.
“The Nelson Mandela plate, given the strength of South Africa, is becoming more and more relevant.
“And Argentina are RWC semi-finalists and more and more competitive every year. So, in terms of the actual competition or championship, I can understand there may be some elements of question but the meaningful Test matches are still being played,” said Waugh.
“But you go, every second year with a TRC, and then in 2028, if you’ve got a tour-like concept, whereby you might go away for three Tests, play midweek games, and then host for three Tests and play midweek games there’s a real attraction to the community game and the fan base around some of those elements because of the touring nature of it and the engagement with the provincial teams.”
He added the complication with hosting a TRC alongside an extended tour program was the amount of weeks that club teams were required to release players for international duty.
“I think it’s then it’s around what you can fit within the reg nine window. If you’ve got a long period of time whereby you’ve got South Africa hosting New Zealand, then fitting a full TRC in that window is very difficult due to the availability of South African and Argentinian players are mostly playing club rugby offshore,” said Waugh.
Rugby Australia CEO Phil Waugh speaks to the media. (Photo by Chris Hyde/Getty Images)
Oberholzer said it was South Africa’s preference that TRC go back to one off Tests rather than two per season – but it was suggested in the media report where he spoke that New Zealand wanted to sideline TRC in those seasons.
According to Oberholzer, theAll Blackswill embark on a tour of South Africa in 2026 consisting of three Tests, four matches against United Rugby Championship teams and a clash against South Africa A. They will also face the Springboks a fourth time at a neutral venue – with Twickenham or the United States are listed as options.
First year All Blacks coach Robertson was in favour of the plans of a long tour involving one great rival.
Scott Robertson at Principality Stadium on November 04, 2023 in Cardiff. (Photo by Ryan Hiscott/Getty Images for Barbarians)
“If it does come along, the concept is awesome,” Robertson told Newstalk ZB radio on Friday.
“A bit of an old school tour, you’ve got a group of 60-odd, mid-week and Tests. That’s a genuine tour, two biggest rivals. It’s a throwback in time and it’s what you need right now in world rugby.”
International rugby programs are undergoing seismic change, as noted by Wallabies coach Joe Schmidt on Friday.
“It’s a real mix, world rugby at the moment with the different competitions and agreements that exist,” Schmidt said when asked by The Roar about the plans for the Boks vs All Blacks series.
“Six Nations is such a solidified competition that the Northern Hemisphere have a very exclusive club there and I know talking to the Georgian coaches they’d love to have a crack at getting into that competition.
“At the same time, [the new series] is not going to replace the Rugby Championship. The Rugby Championship, as far as I know, is going to continue but it will be truncated in that year.
“There’s also a fair bit of planning and preparation around a Nations Cup that is, I think, potentially a fantastic competition that may be biannual and it may be that the teams from the Southern Hemisphere accumulate points versus the Northern Hemisphere and you get crossovers and you end up with a championship during the November series.
“So that’s another potential outcome that could really, I think, energise interest in the game.”
(Photo by Matt Roberts/Getty Images)
To Schmidt’s eye, TRC still resonates with rugby fans in the region.
“We had great crowds for two games. I think a total of about 110,000 people came to two games in Australia. It was sold out in La Plata,” Schmidt said.
“So I think local interest is still really high and so you would expect that in itself is evidence that the competition still holds some sway with rugby fans.”
The significant revamp of international rugby in the southern hemisphere is leaving one stakeholder feeling shafted all over again.
While Australia’s leadership are putting a brave face on the new series, Argentinian rugby followers are concerned about what it means for that country.
They’ve already lived through being cast aside from Super Rugby – and there’s no doubt TRC has helped build the big game quality of the World Cup semi-finalists.
Writing in La Nacion this week, under the headline “A blow to Argentine rugby. The pact between New Zealand and South Africa that will harm the Pumas” Alejo Miranda said: “New Zealandbroke the pact with its Sanzaar partners in 2020, using the pandemic as an excuse, and only cut off Super Rugby.
“Just four years later, it is teaming up with South Africa, this timeto the detriment of the Rugby Championship,further deteriorating Argentina’s status.”
His report concluded: “The powers are finding new ways to escape crisis with old formulas. Emerging countries, such as Argentina, are once again left out. Once again, we will have to sharpen our wits.”
Waugh told News Corp that RA was in discussions with their SANZAAR partners – including Argentina – for “unprecedented inbound and outbound tours”.
SANZAAR State of Play: What this week’s comments suggest about the calendar
2025: TRC remains as it is with two Tests against each nation. British and Irish Lions tour Australia. Broadcast deal ends at close of year.
2026: New Zealand has three Test plus midweek game tour of South Africa. Australia aiming to have 2-3 Bledisloes, and a home South African Test for the Nelson Mandela Challenge Plate. Nations Championship launches including northern hemisphere matches.
2027: TRC returns. Australia hosts Rugby World Cup.
2028: Discussions ongoing for traditional three-Test tours with potential midweek matches against provincial teams between the SANZAAR nations.
2029: TRC returns
2030: NZ host eight-week Springboks tour. Australia aiming to have 2-3 Bledisloes, and a home South African Test for the Nelson Mandela Challenge Plate.
With Christy Doran
