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The Rugby Championship

Rugby Championship set for significant revamp next year

By Online Editors

02 Mar 2020

(Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)

The Rugby Championship is set for its first overhaul since Argentina was admitted into the competition eight years ago.

The New Zealand Herald has revealed that the competition will be re-formatted so that the All Blacks and Wallabies will play the Springboks and Argentina at home on a biennial basis, and vice versa.

The shift in scheduling brings an end to teams having to travel halfway across the globe to play two matches against opposing sides each year.

Continue reading below…

Instead, the All Blacks, for example, will only play one of either South Africa or the Pumas at home once each season, while they will face the other side once abroad in the same year.

The Wallabies will do the same in a mirror image, with fixtures reversing the following year to ensure both the All Blacks and Australia host the side they play away from home next year in 2022.

The reasoning behind the alteration steams from a desire to bring a greater sense of occasion to fixtures for fans, as the Springboks and Pumas will only play in New Zealand or Australia every second year, and likewise for the All Blacks and Wallabies playing in South Africa and Argentina.

Bledisloe Cup fixtures between New Zealand and Australia will remain unchanged, as the trans-Tasman rivals will continue to face off twice annually on home-and-away basis, as will the Springboks and Pumas.

The move has also been engineered to give the Rugby Championship a ‘retro’ theme, whereby international sides can feel that they are on an old-fashioned tour.

Although it is unlikely, there remains a possibility that the All Blacks and Wallabies can travel with extended squads to play mid-week fixtures in South Africa and Argentina.

The same concept could also be utilised by the Springboks and Pumas when they travel to Australasia, and SANZAAR is hopeful that the changes will bring a more compelling edge to the Rugby Championship, something of which the competition has severely lacked in comparison to its Six Nations counterparts in Europe since expanding to a four-team tournament in 2012.

The added bonus of making the Rugby Championship a more difficult competition to win by reverting the number of annual matches to just four per side is also a prominent factor in the scheduling overhaul.

Since Argentina’s admission into the Southern Hemisphere’s premier international tournament, the All Blacks have claimed six of the eight titles.

The two times they didn’t win – in 2015 and 2019 – came in years that the competition was shortened due to the World Cup.

https://www.instagram.com/p/B9Nsuo0g_R-/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

In every other year where the tournament was held in its current format, whereby every teams plays each other both home and away, the All Blacks have dominated proceedings, often clinching the title with one or even two matches to spare.

A favourable scheduling system – which has remained consistent since 2012 – has seen them play the Wallabies, Springboks and Pumas in successive fixtures every year, possibly a significant factor behind their unprecedented success in the Rugby Championship.

Prior to their run of three straight home matches, the All Blacks have continually opened their campaigns in Australia before finishing the competition with back-to-back clashes in Argentina and South Africa.

Conversely, the Pumas have always had to play three consecutive matches on the road against the Springboks, All Blacks and Wallabies in that order.

Those run of fixtures have been sandwiched by a campaign-opening home clash against South Africa and two further home matches against Australia and New Zealand.

An alteration in scheduling will offset travel burdens faced by all four sides in the Rugby Championship, a facet of the competition that players have struggled with given they then have to tour Europe a matter of weeks after the tournament’s conclusion.

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JW 1 hour ago

Crusaders vs Force takes: Let's talk about Sevu Reece, forgotten All Black returns

NZ rugby needs to allow the All blacks coaching staff to select whoever they like, that will only strengthen the Allblacks and perhaps disincentive the clubs from signing up NZ rugby players, not that it will matter.

Yeah it would be interesting what sort of difference that would make. Don’t forget that International teams are also allowed/required to have players avaliable for their second sides. So even if he was eligible for the ABs, they could have an ‘offshore’ seconds side they use which would have the same effect you suggest above, while also providing a better idea of where those players are at, if NZ whished them return or be selectable.

I don’t think SA have done that to any great or useful extent. It is mainly local players that went overseas that they have just continued to select.

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YeowNotEven 1 hour ago

Mixed Wales update on availability of Josh Adams, Gareth Anscombe

Who the f are these people who get their financial advice from a rugby comments section ?

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JWH 1 hour ago

Crusaders vs Force takes: Let's talk about Sevu Reece, forgotten All Black returns

Was agreeing with you until you mentioned WJ on the wing and BB at 15. Just blatantly wrong. This isn’t 2022. Move on.

10 Go to comments

JWH 1 hour ago

Crusaders vs Force takes: Let's talk about Sevu Reece, forgotten All Black returns

Ragebait, Sevu still scoring running try’s. He’s probably quicker than Telea as well atp, maybe Clarke too. He is a track runner after all

10 Go to comments

JW 1 hour ago

Crusaders vs Force takes: Let's talk about Sevu Reece, forgotten All Black returns

I think Reece has bulked up too much and now doesn’t have the pace to perform to his previously high standards. He’s making himself less of a winger but I’m not really sure he’s filling another role succinctly either. I think criticism at the AB level has seen him try to redevelop his game, I’m really not sure he can be continued to be used at the highest level. Definitely becoming the wing version Richie Mo’unga is possible (if not already attained) at Super Rugby level however. I loved watching him play when he first broke through.

The Force are undeniably much improved this season, but it’s going to take some reps to prove to themselves that they really can hang with the big dogs.

Yeah they’re still well off in the quality personal front.

It was the 21-year-old’s first appearance of the season, and he certainly made the most of it, with 13 carries accounting for 50 running metres – each of them passing by in a blur as Springer made his may to the try line time and time again.

Will Jordan was playmaking superbly to assist the youngster’s points tally, but it was all individual brilliance in the 53rd minute when Springer tiptoed down the sideline before collecting his own chip kick and outpacing the final two defenders to score under the posts.

After pre-season I said that I wanted Springer to cement the starting jersey, and that (well I’ve not no idea exactly which sides they play) another new wing recruit, Kunawave, would replace Reece as the Fijian Flyer in the team by season end. Reece might be making that tough, but unfortunately it looks like there wasn’t a full squad spot for the young fella and he has since made his AB7s debut instead. Watch this space though as he and Saifoloi look to have the X factor👍

That Jordan pass to Springer aside it was otherwise a very lackluster game for him as he looks to be struggling with processing his option taking in this new style he’s trying. Still have to think a man of that talent and ingenuity is going to make it click sooner or later though!

t’s a congested position, and after Ennor shot down talk of him being swept up by a Top 14 outfit this week, it looks as if the Crusaders have some selection headaches to solve in the coming weeks.

That’s great news. I can’t remember if it was because he actually made his return in pre-season or not but for some reason I was liking how Ennor looked like he might be providing the right options for Saders and even ABs when back. Very pleased to see him fit straight in though there was plenty of space on offer but he almost looked as if he was more dangerous with no space. Could be the long looked for option at 13?

10 Go to comments

JWH 1 hour ago

Super Rugby Pacific has turned the ship around in the right direction

What are you talking about? Why change it? Why a 5v5 comp? Everything you’re saying doesn’t make sense. The comp is finally performing well and you want to chop and axe teams because … what?

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JW 1 hour ago

Chiefs vs Blues takes: Blues need Spider-Man, McKenzie is All Blacks’ form 10

Dmac is setup to be the main kick returner too, so he gets most of the receipts (shown by his carry stats). Dunno if that will change/switch back to Shaun as he works into the season.

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JW 1 hour ago

Chiefs vs Blues takes: Blues need Spider-Man, McKenzie is All Blacks’ form 10

Wasn’t Jordan shocking in the weekend though, trying to fullfil his new playmaker role? That one lovely pass, still a bit of work to fulfil that statement I think.

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JW 2 hours ago

Chiefs vs Blues takes: Blues need Spider-Man, McKenzie is All Blacks’ form 10

Chiefs were in the driver’s seat for most of Saturday night’s fixture in the Tron

I don’t know about that. The majority of stats all favour the Blues.

Referee Ben O’Keeffe did show the rising star a yellow card during the second half after a series of infringements from the Blues, but that shouldn’t take away too much from the main point here. Taele looks at home with the Blues in Super Rugby Pacific.

There were a few errors that crept into his performance in that second half, but yes, I was surprised after watching him a few times how comfortable he looked in his role as a 2nd5, and even how well he performed it. It is a shame for Lam to be injured but I picked up a distinct difference in how the backline functioned by having Taele at twelve instead. I might not have given him another go this week but now it will be very interesting to see what Vern does and without knowing what else is going on (Pero might be fit enough to start and psuh Plummer to 12) I think he might start again (Heem has been very very good in the role in recent years, is he fit).

Shaun Stevenson fails to make an All Blacks-worthy statement

He’s leaving Hamish (don’t know how you missed that), it’s impossible to make a statement for AB selection, and that also be well out of his mind.

Watching him in Japan he looked to be struggling as much of his team. Which is often how I think his contributions have depended, how well he fits in with the team. He’s a very unique player and I don’t think the Chiefs have anywhere near the right momentum and structure to unlock Shaun’s strengths. In saying that I thought he played well and that pass showed he’s in a great headspace, you might also be overplaying Corey’s contribution, which from the weekend would be of greatest value if he was Lams midfield replacement imo. I’d like Forbes to return this weekend and don’t think Corey did enough to take that opportunity away from him.

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JW 2 hours ago

Super Rugby Pacific has turned the ship around in the right direction

I wonder whether even more consolidation is in order. If going back to a 12 team competition is unrealistic in the foreseeable future (and you have to think with the lack of talk it is going to be for the new/next 5 year cycle) then conformity with NZ matching Aus with four teams might be on the cards, or possibly less disruptively (all considered) Australia going down to 3 teams and incorporating Drua and Moana into a 5 v 5 comp, might be more workable?

The later change could possibly even be advantageous if it makes more use of Twiggies desire to have his region at the forefront (setting up their rival competition again).

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Jahmirwayle 2 hours ago

Mixed Wales update on availability of Josh Adams, Gareth Anscombe

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JW 2 hours ago

Super Rugby Pacific has turned the ship around in the right direction

“We want jeopardy in our competition, right? We want ladder movement. We don’t want teams to stay in the same ladder position that they were in last year.

You need promotion relegation then. You cannot always rely on 4 teams being the right number for Australia, it could mean that they are too strong in future. Or that Fijian Drua doesn’t always has the players to knock of the best.

“We want unexpected results. We want every fan to be sitting here on a Friday at lunchtime going ‘I’m a chance this weekend’.’’

Oh, so you want a made up fantasy league like the NFL, rather than a quantifiable competition like NPC, and to a lesser degree, then NRL. Meaningless rather than meaningful, you don’t want the best of NSW taking on the best of Queensland, or the Blues region versus the Chiefs region.

There is still huge room for improvement in the way rugby is played and officiated, it is an incredibly young professional sport. Some of these introduced concepts are tricks taken from others and have done a lot to engage and increase Super Rugby’s appeal, but there has been a hint of whether the game is selling it’s soul to get back on the table.

For me, Super Rugby’s best years were around the turn of the millennium, when the Crusaders and Brumbies held sway. The speed with which possession was recycled at the breakdown and the minutes the ball was in play remains my benchmark for flowing rugby.

Have you used you’re own license for viewing “feels rather than facts” here Hamish?

I agree, the rugby isn’t as good as it has been at times in the recent past, but it is more engaging. Which I think is due to a whole factor of fortunate and one off reasons, along with targeted ones.

4 Go to comments

Bruiser 2 hours ago

Super Rugby Pacific has turned the ship around in the right direction

Definitely best season for several years. Lots of young NZ talent coming through and skill level and intensity has increased. No real weak NZ team and pretty even overall. The Aussies consolidating to 4 teams should have happened years ago and will make Wallabies a lot stronger. Moana and Drua are getting stronger and making the championship a true authentic Pacific competition. We certainly dont need SA teams back now. Keeping as many players from leaking to Europe or Japan should be the aim

4 Go to comments

fl 2 hours ago

Bath win Prem Cup to end 17-year trophy wait

Gatland lasted 17 years as Wales coach, I suspect Rassie’s lifespan might be similar. He could probably hang on until 2034-ish if he really wants, but moving on after 2027 - or 2031 at the latest - might be wise.

2 Go to comments

d 3 hours ago

Crusaders vs Force takes: Let's talk about Sevu Reece, forgotten All Black returns

True, they can talk about Reece all they like , but he has continued to disappoint at test level with his decision making and defence. I’d rather see Jordan in his place with DMac or BB at fullback and #10.