Boks, Pumas to open ‘Rugby Championship’

Boks, Pumas to open ‘Rugby Championship’

8 Nov 2011

The Springboks will play Argentina in their first game of next year’s Rugby Championship, the four-team southern-hemisphere tournament replacing the existing Tri-Nations.

An agreement confirming Argentina’s participation was signed in Auckland recently by the Sanzar Joint Venture partners after several months of negotiations with the Unión Argentina de Rugby (UAR) and the International Rugby Board (IRB).

The new-look tournament has been given a new name and a new fixture line-up with two Tests on each match day. Each participant plays home and away matches against each of the other three participants.

The Boks open their campaign against the Pumas in South Africa on 18 August before taking part in the first Rugby Championship match on the South American continent a week later. The match venues will be announced in due course.

‘The regular participation of Argentina at a higher level is long overdue and we are excited about their inclusion in The Rugby Championship,’ said Sanzar CEO Greg Peters, ‘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.’

According to a statement by Sanzar, 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 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,’ said Peters.

Saru CEO Jurie Roux said he hopes these changes will result in a more balanced tournament. In the past, South Africa has suffered because of travel.

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

The 2012 Championship will kick-off on 18 August 2012 and conclude on 6 October 2012. A Sanzar delegation will travel to Argentina in November on a fact-finding visit during which it will conduct venue inspections and hold discussions with the UAR, host broadcasters, sponsors and other key stakeholders to ensure the smooth transition from Tri-Nations to The Rugby Championship.

The Rugby Championship fixtures:

18 August 2012: Australia vs New Zealand, South Africa vs Argentina

25 August 2012: New Zealand vs Australia, Argentina vs South Africa

1 September 2012: Travel Bye

8 September 2012: Australia vs South Africa, New Zealand vs Argentina

15 September 2012: Australia vs Argentina, New Zealand vs South Africa

22 September 2012: Travel Bye

29 September 2012: South Africa vs Australia, Argentina vs New Zealand

6 October 2012: South Africa vs New Zealand, Argentina vs Australia


391 Comments

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  • 1.BULLET: Reply to this comment
    8 Nov 2011, 08:13 am

    I heard that there was talk of inviting England to this tourney, but the belief was that the English players touring SA are less logical in their behavoiur than the Malema youth league, and the country police were not geared up for more mass action

  • 2.au revoir mon tout noirs, au revoir...: Reply to this comment
    8 Nov 2011, 08:18 am

    this is either going to make argentine rugby stronger or quite possibly a lot weaker imo.
    continual undisputed wooden spoon thrashings might put them in a negative frame semi-permanently.

  • 3.ufo: Reply to this comment
    8 Nov 2011, 08:24 am

    this is quite exciting imo…

    nothing like shaking the tree to see what falls out…

    will be VEEEERY interesting to see how the Nzar’s cope with the extra travel… and what they say about it after a few results don’t go their way…

    :evil:

  • 4.Sasuke: Reply to this comment
    8 Nov 2011, 08:27 am

    So is Arg playing their games in S.A or will they host games in Arg? I hope they get the right to host the games in Argentina. It will help rugby in that country.

  • 5.hendrikp: Reply to this comment
    8 Nov 2011, 08:30 am

    So SA gets screwed again.

    The only side to play away from home before and after a bye week.

  • 6.Sasuke: Reply to this comment
    8 Nov 2011, 08:33 am

    Will be interesting to see how teams cope with the extra travel.

  • 7.>^..^< katman: Reply to this comment
    8 Nov 2011, 08:35 am

    Geographically, this is interesting too, with the teams being spread across the southern hemisphere. Depending on how you hold the globe, each could be seen as the central country. And if you wanted to pick a spot that was geographically neutral and central to host the tournament, it would have to be somewhere on Antarctica. Imagine that.

  • 8.Staal: Reply to this comment
    8 Nov 2011, 08:37 am

    Nog meer rugby? huh?

  • 9.My nr1 nr2 too: Reply to this comment
    8 Nov 2011, 08:39 am

    @Sasuke(Sasuke)-4: In Arg

  • 10.Sasuke: Reply to this comment
    8 Nov 2011, 08:39 am

    @hendrikp(hendrikp)-5: After the 2nd bye we are playing at home.

  • 11.au revoir mon tout noirs, au revoir...: Reply to this comment
    8 Nov 2011, 08:40 am

    @Sasuke(Sasuke)-4:
    yip, which evens out the travel factor considerably for us i guess as the atipodeans will have to go over there.

  • 12.My nr1 nr2 too: Reply to this comment
    8 Nov 2011, 08:40 am

    @Staal(Staal)-8: wel, die bokke gaan nooit weer in die CC te siene wees nie.

    Die Lions beter hoop hulle kry nie te veel bok call ups nie :)

  • 13.Sasuke: Reply to this comment
    8 Nov 2011, 08:41 am

    @My nr1 nr2 too(trupisero)-9: Great stuff. Exciting for development in Arg rugby.

  • 14.My nr1 nr2 too: Reply to this comment
    8 Nov 2011, 08:42 am

    @Sasuke(Sasuke)-13: Yip, just hope they can pull their best players from Europe else they will get hammered relentlessly.

  • 15.Yetirat: Reply to this comment
    8 Nov 2011, 08:44 am

    Could they not come up with anything more original than “Rugby Championship”?

  • 16.Roar my Lions .... Currie Cup Champions 2011: Reply to this comment
    8 Nov 2011, 08:45 am

    Well that championship will ensure that no Bok will ever play in the Currie Cup again.

    Sharkievarkies let’s hear the whinging.

  • 17.Sasuke: Reply to this comment
    8 Nov 2011, 08:45 am

    @au revoir mon tout noirs, au revoir…(i_love_u_bakkiesbotha)-11: Yip no more complaining about travel fatigue we all will be equal.

    @My nr1 nr2 too(trupisero)-12: lol so true.

  • 18.au revoir mon tout noirs, au revoir...: Reply to this comment
    8 Nov 2011, 08:47 am

    @hendrikp(hendrikp)-5:
    yes you may be right. our administrator big heads really pisss me off most times.
    however, consider that jetlags supposed to be worse in the one direction as opposed to the other but even considering this it seems the schedule is still in their favour.

  • 19.Roar my Lions .... Currie Cup Champions 2011: Reply to this comment
    8 Nov 2011, 08:47 am

    @Yetirat(Yetirat)-15: yes it’s actually called the Castle Rugby Championship.

  • 20.BULLET: Reply to this comment
    8 Nov 2011, 08:57 am

    @19 Roar my Lions,
    I love that name.
    Perhaps just the “Castle”

    It would sound stupid if we called in “the XXXX’

  • 21.Staal: Reply to this comment
    8 Nov 2011, 08:58 am

    Converance Cup….. hehehehehe
    Vodacom Cup
    CCup
    Castle Champions Cup
    EOYT

    holy smokes….

    did i miss a cup?

  • 22.Tacitus: Reply to this comment
    8 Nov 2011, 09:00 am

    What a joke.

    And the biggest farce of all is that the S15 is now split in two by some test matches.

    A total mess.

  • 23.Staal: Reply to this comment
    8 Nov 2011, 09:04 am

    @Staal(Staal)-21: goeie genugtig…

    ek’t S15 vergeet…

  • 24.My nr1 nr2 too: Reply to this comment
    8 Nov 2011, 09:04 am

    @Staal(Staal)-21: s15?

  • 25.My nr1 nr2 too: Reply to this comment
    8 Nov 2011, 09:04 am

    @Staal(Staal)-23: en Varsity.

  • 26.foot-in-touch: Reply to this comment
    8 Nov 2011, 09:05 am

    I like the idea of getting the Argies involved – we may see some of their players in the S15.
    The tourney name is wrong – it should be Southern Hemisphere International Tournament – or S.H.I.T. for short.

  • 27.Sasuke: Reply to this comment
    8 Nov 2011, 09:05 am

    @Tacitus(Deucalion)-22: When will the S15 end? Will the play-off stage be played after the June Window?

  • 28.hendrikp: Reply to this comment
    8 Nov 2011, 09:07 am

    @au revoir mon tout noirs, au revoir…(i_love_u_bakkiesbotha)-18:

    Point is all the other sides will either be able to fly home, have a week off & then play a home game, or….. play a game at home, have a week off, and then fly overseas for their away game.

    New Zealand even has a home game before and after the first bye week.

    The Springboks on the other hand have to travel to Argentina, then decide whether to fly back to South Africa for their bye week, or fly straight to Australia. No time at home.

    Could argue that it’s not that big a deal, but it’s still a disadvantage.

  • 29.Sasuke: Reply to this comment
    8 Nov 2011, 09:07 am

    @foot-in-touch(foot-in-touch)-26: lol classic

  • 30.hendrikp: Reply to this comment
    8 Nov 2011, 09:15 am

    @Sasuke(Sasuke)-27:

    There will be 3 rounds left after the June window. Then a further 3 weekends for the SR play-offs.

    Super Rugby – February 25 to June 2. Then June 30 to August 4.
    Currie Cup – August 11 to October 27

    Springbok Fixtures:
    February 9, 16 & 23. Incoming tour versus England
    August 18 – October 6 – Rugby Championship
    November 10 – Ireland versus Springboks
    November 17 – Scotland versus Springboks
    October 24 – England versus Springboks

    The Junior World Championships will also run at the same time as the incoming England tour.

  • 31.Staal: Reply to this comment
    8 Nov 2011, 09:15 am

    @foot-in-touch(foot-in-touch)-26: :lol:

  • 32.>^..^< katman: Reply to this comment
    8 Nov 2011, 09:15 am

    The Southern Cup.

  • 33.TheTackler: Reply to this comment
    8 Nov 2011, 09:21 am

    Argies will lose every game.

  • 34.John Galt: Reply to this comment
    8 Nov 2011, 09:24 am

    So the S15 starts in February and ends in early August.

    In between this, Super Rugby takes a break for the June internationals.

    And then the Rugby Championship starts straight after the S15 finishes and ends in October.

    With the CC somewhere in and around this mess?

    Holyshit thats a lot of Rugby.

  • 35.Helen: Reply to this comment
    8 Nov 2011, 09:24 am

    @>^..^< katman(katman)-32:

    Or the Southern Hemisphere International Tournament
    S.H.I.T. for short

  • 36.Transformation: Reply to this comment
    8 Nov 2011, 09:25 am

    @hendrikp(hendrikp)-30: yesses that fixture list is RIDICULOUS!

  • 37.Helen: Reply to this comment
    8 Nov 2011, 09:27 am

    Think the Argies might break our strangehold on the wooden spoon next year…

    I reckon Aus are favs to take the first S.H.I.T. Cup

  • 38.PissAnt: Reply to this comment
    8 Nov 2011, 09:28 am

    Well boys and girls, you can kiss the Currie Cup goodbye.

    Your top 150 players will be engaged in Super Rugby from February to August.

    Your top 30 players will be tied up with the Boks for 3 weeks in June, and if they are in Super Rugby play-off’s or final, have 2 weeks rest before they join the Boks in the new Rugby Champs comp.

    After this, they will tour Europe.

    The Currie Cup (not finalised yet as far as I know) will run from July to October.

    And for the record, this is a kak name.

  • 39.Helen: Reply to this comment
    8 Nov 2011, 09:29 am

    If if was a knock-out competition, they could brand it as the Federal Union Cup Knockout??

  • 40.hendrikp: Reply to this comment
    8 Nov 2011, 09:29 am

    @John Galt(John Galt)-34:

    Seems like a lot but not any more then we currently have.

    Also benefits teams to have a bit of a break towards the end of the Super 15. Gives time for injured players to recover and so forth.

    Do think we need to pull out all Springboks out of the CC though. Give them time off and then go for a 2-week training and conditioning camp before the EOYT.

  • 41.PissAnt: Reply to this comment
    8 Nov 2011, 09:30 am

    Stoked for the Argies though – only positive I am taking from this.

  • 42.hendrikp: Reply to this comment
    8 Nov 2011, 09:31 am

    @PissAnt(PissAnt)-38:

    The Currie Cup will only start on the 11th of August. Again the week after the Super-15 final, same as it was in 2011.

    That’s why they made it 6 teams (rather then 8). 4 less rounds.

  • 43.sparticus: Reply to this comment
    8 Nov 2011, 09:33 am

    The S.H.I.Y cup , bwaa haa haa. Made my day ! Thanks foot in touch !

  • 44.John Galt: Reply to this comment
    8 Nov 2011, 09:33 am

    @hendrikp(hendrikp)-40:
    As Pissant says.

    Say bye bye to the Currie Cup.

    The Loins are the last true champions of the real CC.

  • 45.PissAnt: Reply to this comment
    8 Nov 2011, 09:35 am

    @hendrikp(hendrikp)-42:

    Thanks.

    Still means no Boks – it starts a week before the Rugby Champs starts. Boks will be on training camp.

  • 46.hendrikp: Reply to this comment
    8 Nov 2011, 09:37 am

    @John Galt(John Galt)-44:

    Bit over the top. Currie Cup still brings in good money. Don’t know how we can say ‘goodbye’ to it when the fixtures aren’t any worse then this year.

    If anything it’s being strengthened by not having to play against the Pumas & Leopards.

  • 47.hendrikp: Reply to this comment
    8 Nov 2011, 09:39 am

    @PissAnt(PissAnt)-45:

    If they decide to allow the Boks to play in the Currie Cup, they’ll still become available the week before the semi-finals. Same as 2011.

  • 48.John Galt: Reply to this comment
    8 Nov 2011, 09:41 am

    @hendrikp(hendrikp)-46:
    The CC wont be the same. Its been a slow poison scenario for the CC actually.

    The constant lengthening of Super Rugby fixture list, the Tri Nations starting later etc. All these things mean that the CC will become a glorified Vodacom Cup.
    You cant deny that the CC only really starts getting going when the Boks return from international duty.
    This wont happen now.

  • 49.HongKongSlong: Reply to this comment
    8 Nov 2011, 09:43 am

    Argentina will get absolutely mascaraed, none of the top players will be released by their European clubs to play in any of the matches, as it will clash with pre season and the European season! The first team would struggle enough as it is against the Tri nations, but their C or D team will be destroyed. Way to go SANZAR!
    A decent national league or franchises in the Super 15 first are what is needed first if they are to join the Tri Nations. Joining the 6 Nations in the short term would be better for them until a decent national level is set up in Argentina.

  • 50.Dawn: Reply to this comment
    8 Nov 2011, 09:44 am

    @Helen(Helen)-35:

    Copycat

    Foot-in-touch already said that.

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