Northern Edition

Select Edition

Northern Northern
Southern Southern
Global Global
New Zealand New Zealand
France France

Rugby Championship schedule released

(Photo by Getty Images)

SANZAAR have confirmed the 12-match schedule for this year’s Rugby Championship including match venues and kick-off times.

ADVERTISEMENT

The schedule includes a new Rugby Championship venue. Trafalgar Park in Nelson will host the New Zealand versus Argentina Test in September.

The Rugby Championship kicks off on Saturday August 18th when the Wallabies take on reigning the champion All Blacks in Sydney, and concludes on Saturday October 6th when Argentina host Australia in Salta.

In other news:

Video Spacer

ADVERTISEMENT

Tackling reasons for drop-out in sport | Zainab Alema | Rugby Rising Locker Room

Krakow | Leg 3 | Day 2 | HSBC Challenger Series | Full Day Replay

Kubota Spears vs Tokyo Sungoliath | Japan Rugby League One 2024/25 | Full Match Replay

Jet Lag: The biggest challenge facing international sports? | The Report

Boks Office | Episode 39 | The Investec Champions Cup is back

Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry? | New Zealand & Australia | Sevens Wonders | Episode 5

Kobelco Kobe Steelers vs Toshiba Brave Lupus Tokyo | Japan Rugby League One 2024/25 | Full Match Replay

The Rise of Kenya | The Report

Trending on RugbyPass

Comments

0 Comments
Be the first to comment...

Join free and tell us what you really think!

Sign up for free
ADVERTISEMENT

Latest Features

Comments on RugbyPass

S
SK 33 minutes ago
'Haves and have nots': The Six Nations numbers reveal hidden truths

Really interesting stats, especially around the scrums and the props spending so little time in them. The game is changing and is becoming faster but its also heavily territory and momentum dependent now. The amount of tries scored by forwards in the top 3 teams shows the importance of forward firepower at the lineout and is also of great importance when you are 5m out trying to get over the line from general play. Ireland don’t have behemoths but do well in this area due to superior technique and quality, France have the biggest most powerful pack and replace them with an arguably bigger pack with the 7-1 and England have plenty of power in this area. Teams are choosing to retain territory and use pens as a launchpad for dominating territory. Exits have also never been as important as they are today with teams giving away turnovers in their own half being heavily punished. The 50-22 is also important in this respect and we have seen how kickers go for it when on or inside their own 10. This especially happens directly after an aerial duel contest is won or in the event of a turnover in midfield. With the winger out of place and defence scrambling at the line a kicker is well within his rights to go for the 50-22. Giving away back to back penalties is also a no no as this leads to a 60-80m retreat. The Six Nations proves that in the modern age territorial supremacy and forward based power is what is winning games and championships.

9 Go to comments
S
SK 1 hour ago
South African rugby's top heavy house of cards

I think everyone knows that the SA teams are prioritising the URC which is why they have been so bad in Europe. The champions cup group stage fixtures couldnt come at a worse time for SA franchises. They come hot on the heels of the Autumn internationals and in December and Jan when its coldest in Europe and as hot as it gets in SA. During this period SA franchises have to leap from Africa to Europe one week after the next. SA franchises sometimes have to hop from Europe back to Africa and then back to Europe in 3 to 4 weeks. Mandatory Springbok rest periods are opted into by franchises to keep the players fit as the Springbok players cannot play year-round and injuries take their toll. Fatigue also sets in for players who have played non-stop since March as there is no global calendar. They don’t get a chance to regroup again until the six nations. SA teams prioritise what’s in front of them. The Springboks are top heavy and SA franchises are in Transition between the new and older generation. There are lots of youngsters coming through but they need more time at the top level. Coaching is also in transition in SA Rugby with many coaches at a young age. The age group levels SA has underperformed but the talent is there. Its coming through at franchise level and these players are getting great experience playing in a variety of comps. I would hardly call it a house of cards though. Succession planning has already become a reality. At Prop the Springboks are already replacing the seniors, at Scrum Half the Springboks are building depth and at 10 they have loads of options now and at 4 and 5 the Boks have used a host of players in recent years. Rassie has a plan for 2027 and the best coaching staff at international level. He has some difficult questions in front of him when it comes to the squad but is finding answers at the moment. Yes its possible Springbok performances could dip this year and perhaps in 2026 however I would not bet against them continuing to dominate while in transition. There were similar doubts cast about them last year and they proved the doubters wrong.

3 Go to comments
LONG READ
LONG READ 'Haves and have nots': The Six Nations numbers reveal hidden truths 'Haves and have nots': The Six Nations numbers reveal hidden truths
Search