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The Rugby Championship is an annual international professional rugby union competition contested between teams from Southern hemisphere nations including Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and Argentina. The competition is run by SANZAAR (South Africa, New Zealand, Australia and Argentina Rugby) who also operate the Super Rugby competition.
Rugby Championship History
The Rugby Championship competition originated as the Tri-Nations in 1996 and featured South Africa, New Zealand and Australia. A ten-year deal was announced worth £360 million in an attempt to create a competition on par with the Six Nations in Europe.
New Zealand (All Blacks) dominated the inaugural Tri-Nations competition in 1996, winning all four of their games including a crushing 43-6 win against Australia at Athletic Park in Wellington.
The All Blacks won again in 1997, going undefeated once again but 1998 saw South Africa win with Australia finishing second. New Zealand bounced back in 1999 to become Tri-Nations champions in thee of the first four competitions.
Australia won their first Tri Nations championship in 2000 despite losing their opening match against New Zealand at Stadium Australia. 109,874 spectators witnessed the match which was called one of the greatest rugby union games in history.
Australia defended their Tri Nations crown in 2001, but the All Blacks were successful in 2002 and went back to back in 2003. Three nations finished with two wins in 2004 with South Africa declared winners due to having a superior points tally.
New Zealand won the 2005 Tri-Nations and retained the trophy in 2006 with two games to spare with the competition expanded to see each team play each other three times. The 2007 Tri-Nations tournament was reduced to two games against each team due to the Rugby World Cup in France. The Tri-Nations and Bledisloe Cup came down to the final match between New Zealand and Australia, the All Blacks winning 26-12 at Eden Park to claim both trophies.
New Zealand were too strong in 2008 but South Africa spoiled their party in 2009, winning the Tri-Nations after a 32-29 win against the All Blacks at Waikato Stadium in Hamilton. There were rumours about Argentina joining the competition in 2009, the foundation of which proved to be true on 14 September 2009 when it was announced that Argentina would join the competition in 2012.
New Zealand bounced back in 2010, winning all six of their matches including a 23-22 win against Australia in the final match at ANZ Stadium in Sydney. Argentina joined the reformatted competition in 2012 after impressive performances on the international stage, most notably finishing third in the 2007 Rugby World Cup. As a result of Argentina’s inclusion in 2012, the Tri-Nations was renamed The Rugby Championship.
New Zealand dominated the new Rugby Championship competition, winning in 2012, 2013 and 2014 before Australia broke the All Blacks stranglehold with a win in 2015 that coincided with victory in the Bledisloe Cup. New Zealand resumed their dominance, winning three straight titles in 2016, 2017 and 2018.
The Rugby Championship is organised by SANZAAR which represents all four southern hemisphere nations that compete in the competition - Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and Argentina.
Rugby Championship Format
The Rugby Championship is played on a home and away format. From 1996 until 2005 Australia, New Zealand and South Africa played each other twice. From 2006 each team played the others three times in a double round-robin format except in 2007 and 2011 when the Rugby World Cup was held.
The addition of Argentina in 2012 saw the format return to a double round-robin format. The 2015 Rugby Championship saw Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and Argentina play each other once to provide extended preparation for the 2015 Rugby World Cup. This format was repeated for the 2019 Rugby Championship.
Teams are awarded 4 points for a win, 2 points for a draw and 0 points for a loss. A bonus point can be attained by scoring three or more tries more than an opponent. A bonus point can also be gained by losing by 7 points or fewer. A victorious team can collect either 4 or 5 points, a team that draws can collect 2 or 3 points and a losing can be awarded 0 to 2 points.
If teams end level on points the first tiebreaker is the total number of wins, the number of wins against the other team/s tied on the same points, overall points differential, points differential between the team/s tied on points and the most tries scored in the competition.
When is the 2024 Rugby Championship?
The 2024 Rugby Championship starts on 10 August 2024 with the final round taking place on 28 September 2024.
Rugby Championship Related Competitions
The Rugby Championship also contributes to the Bledisloe Cup which is contested between Australia and New Zealand. Matches between New Zealand and South Africa contribute to the Freedom Cup, with matches between Australia and South Africa contributing to the Mandela Challenge Plate. The Puma Trophy is contested between Argentina and Australia.
Rugby Championship Results
Stay up to date with all the Rugby Championship results to know what players and teams are in form before placing your bets. Knowing historical results are also important in the Rugby Championship, with home and away form crucial to success from a betting perspective.
New Zealand have been traditionally hard to beat at home, the All Blacks basing their Rugby Championship success on a win percent of over 80% at Carisbrook in Dunedin, Eden Park in Auckland and Westpac Stadium in Wellington.
Tri-Nations, Bledisloe Cup, Mandela Challenge Plate, Freedom Cup and Puma Trophy Winners
| Year | Champions | Bledisloe Cup | Mandela Challenge Plate | Freedom Cup | Wooden Spoon |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 | New Zealand | New Zealand | Not contested | Not contested | Australia |
| 1997 | New Zealand | New Zealand | Not contested | Not contested | Australia |
| 1998 | South Africa | Australia | Not contested | Not contested | New Zealand |
| 1999 | New Zealand | Australia | Not contested | Not contested | South Africa |
| 2000 | Australia | Australia | Not contested | Not contested | South Africa |
| 2001 | Australia | Australia | Not contested | Not contested | South Africa |
| 2002 | New Zealand | Australia | South Africa | Not contested | South Africa |
| 2003 | New Zealand | New Zealand | Not contested | Not contested | South Africa |
| 2004 | South Africa | New Zealand | Not contested | South Africa | New Zealand |
| 2005 | New Zealand | New Zealand | Not contested | Not contested | Australia |
| 2006 | New Zealand | New Zealand | Australia | New Zealand | South Africa |
| 2007 | New Zealand | New Zealand | Australia | New Zealand | South Africa |
| 2008 | New Zealand | New Zealand | Australia | New Zealand | South Africa |
| 2009 | South Africa | New Zealand | South Africa | South Africa | Australia |
| 2010 | New Zealand | New Zealand | Australia | New Zealand | South Africa |
| 2011 | Australia | New Zealand | Australia | New Zealand | South Africa |
Rugby Championship, Bledisloe Cup, Mandela Challenge Plate, Freedom Cup and Puma Trophy Winners
| Year | Champions | Bledisloe Cup | Mandela Challenge Plate | Freedom Cup | Puma Trophy | Wooden Spoon |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | TBC | TBC | TBC | TBC | TBC | TBC |
| 2023 | New Zealand | New Zealand | South Africa | South Africa | Argentina | Australia |
| 2022 | New Zealand | New Zealand | Australia | New Zealand | Australia | Argentina |
| 2021 | New Zealand | New Zealand | Australia | New Zealand | Australia | Argentina |
| 2019 | South Africa | New Zealand | South Africa | New Zealand | Australia | Argentina |
| 2018 | New Zealand | New Zealand | Australia | New Zealand | Australia | Argentina |
| 2017 | New Zealand | New Zealand | Australia | New Zealand | Australia | Argentina |
| 2016 | New Zealand | New Zealand | Australia | New Zealand | Australia | Argentina |
| 2015 | Australia | New Zealand | Australia | New Zealand | Argentina | South Africa |
| 2014 | New Zealand | New Zealand | South Africa | New Zealand | Australia | Argentina |
| 2013 | New Zealand | New Zealand | South Africa | New Zealand | Australia | Argentina |
| 2012 | New Zealand | New Zealand | Australia | New Zealand | Australia | Argentina |
Rugby Championship Teams
The Rugby Championship is contested by four teams from nations in the Southern Hemisphere. These include New Zealand (All Blacks), Australia (Wallabies), South Africa (Springbocks) and Argentina (Pumas).
Who has won the most Rugby Championships?
New Zealand have been the dominant team in the Rugby Championship, winning 10 of the 16 Tri-Nations competitions and six of the eight Rugby Championships since 2012. Australia and South Africa both won three Tri-Nations competitions with Australia winning one Rugby Championship in 2015 and South Africa claiming the 2019 prize.
New Zealand have won a total of 18 titles, followed by Australia on four and South Africa on four. Argentina’s best result came in 2015 when they avoided the wooden spoon for the first and only time.
Rugby Championship Betting Odds
Check a range of bookmakers for the best Rugby Championship betting odds. Comparison sites can be useful for this purpose, the aim is to get the best price in the specific betting market. Handicaps in Rugby Championship games can fluctuate so be sure to do your homework.
Rugby Championship Free Bets
Many online bookmakers will offer Rugby Championship free bets and special offers including price boosts and enhanced odds. Check free tips for all the latest offers.
Rugby Championship Bet of the Day
Rugby Championship matches will often feature in our bet of the day. Our tips could include a match winner, handicap, total points, anytime tryscorer or half time/full time double.
Rugby Championship Fixtures
It’s essential to know the Rugby Championship fixtures so you can plan ahead with your match betting. Knowing the fixtures and match schedule is vital when placing outright winner bets due to home and away form.
Rugby Championship Live Streaming
Live streaming the Rugby Championship is great way to watch the matches anywhere you can get an internet signal. Watch live sport on the go with bet365 live streaming, you must have a funded Sports account or have placed a bet within the last 24 hours in order to view bet365 streams.
You can watch live sport on your iphone or android device, iPad, tablet or pc including football, tennis, basketball, cricket and much more. Geo-restrictions apply, for other FAQs please see the terms and conditions at bet365.
Rugby Championship Highlights
Watching the Rugby Championship highlights is a great way to catch up on any action you may have missed. It’s also important in trying to beat the bookmakers as you can watch all the important moments including tries and goals.
The SANZAAR youtube channel is a great place to start for Rugby Championship highlights alongside the Rugby.com.au youtube channel. The official Rugby Championship website is another valuable resource for Rugby Championship highlights.
Rugby Championship News
Stay up to date with all the latest Rugby Championship news to make sure you don’t miss any important information regarding player injuries and suspensions that could affect the result of a match.
The official Rugby Championship website has all the latest news to keep you informed throughout the competition.
Rugby Championship Social Media
The Rugby Championship has accounts at all the major social media sites so you can stay in touch with the competition in a number of ways.
- Rugby Championship Twitter - https://twitter.com/SanzarTRC
- Rugby Championship Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/TheRugbyChampionship/
- Rugby Championship Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/sanzartrc/
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