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Springboks-All Blacks tours agreed to place Rugby Championship in doubt
By Ben Smith
A new touring proposal between South Africa and New Zealand has been agreed between the two unions according to a report by The Telegraph, with contract talks at the final stages.
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New Zealand will tour South Africa in 2026 with eight games proposed, including three Tests between the All Blacks and Springboks, before New Zealand host South Africa four years later in 2030.
South African publication The Daily Maverick reported representatives met in the lead-up to the Ellis Park Test last weekend, won by the Springboks 31-27.
The proposed tour, which will require sign off from World Rugby, is set to drastically change the Southern Hemisphere calendar in those years with The Rugby Championship model surely in doubt.
“I just spent two days with the New Zealand leadership in what we are calling the greatest rugby rivalry,” said Rian Oberholzer, chief executive of the South African Rugby Union.
“It’s a working title, although some people might say it is arrogant to say that.
“We have signed a memorandum of understanding and we are in the planning phases now. We have a draft schedule that must still be agreed.
“It is a collaboration of two unions that have agreed to work together off the field. We believe we have to be closer – and we have never been close.
“Let’s fight on the field and let’s work off the field to the betterment of both of the unions.”
Oberholzer confirmed that discussions with Australia and Argentina were underway with SARU tabling an amended version of the Rugby Championship.
“If it is not going to happen, we as SARU did say to Argentina and Australia that we will play one-off Test matches against them,” he said.
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Not much loyalty being shown to Australian or Argentinian Rugby here. Used to be a time when test matches involved more honour. Now at the altar of the RWC, honour/right/wrong are out the window. The only considerations are $ and what helps NZ/SA win a RWC.
So Ben copied and pasted everything from a proper journalist trying to pass this off as his work. It’s called plagiarism. Can he not come up with an original thought other than gutter trolling…
actually good point - he's the editor in chief and he's copying and pasting.. goes to show how lax the standards at World Rugby are..
Ben Smith clearly doubling down for this weekends result before he gives us Bok supporters both barrels.. watch this space...
it says nothing as to why it will effect the RC.
Will be played in the same test window as the RC & the money from the next RC broadcast agreement will be a lot less for Australia than it is now.
Great stuff.
3 test series always the best competition.
A 4th test a bit of over kill but it is only 1/ 4 years.
Next best is the World Rugby Nation's Cup, ie or at least the only thing it actually adds ie a World best team final biennially between the 2 champions of 6N & RC.
Much better championship than the 4 yearly RWC. The RWC is a dated concept ie the idea that the winner is the best team or 'champion' for 4 years.
But winning a RWC that specific tournament every 4years. Which is fine but it should be named so ie Champion of World Series.
The new biennial World Rugby Test championship will be actual measure of ' current best team '.
RWC can continue as a big & great Rugby spectacle & $ spinner. Great stuff.
The current best measures of who are the world’s best tests teams are well established and effective.
RWC winners. RC winners. 6N winners. World Rankings. The only fans who need another or more competitions are teams who haven’t been able to win the largest tournament of them all, that literally involves every rugby playing nation in the world.
And on a separate note - it would appear as though Bongi’s try was legit. So the Boks didn’t ONLY WIN because of a ref. And we won’t deep dive the double bank maul try and Sam cane high hit on Kolisi. All inconvenient.
Good luck to you on Saturday. I suspect the ABs can pull off a win there - because they’re a great team. Try and be a better fan if they do.
This will be better than the RC imho.
Much much better. The E-W travelling has always been ridiculous, for both internationals and so-called 'Super Rugby' and this is why the RWC has been the only real test of any team, as the visitors have time to get over jetlag and acclimatise as well. Fair enough there's always home town advantage but at least it's minimized.