The Rugby Championship facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
The Rugby Championship

Current season 2025 Rugby Championship
Sport	Rugby Union
Formerly known as	The Tri Nations
Inaugural season	1996
Number of teams	4
Countries	Argentina  Australia  New Zealand  South Africa
Holders	South Africa (2024)
Most titles	New Zealand (20)
Broadcast partner	Sky Sport (New Zealand) Nine Network, Stan (Australia) ESPN, Disney+ (Latín America) SuperSport (South Africa)
Related competition	Bledisloe Cup Freedom Cup Mandela Challenge Plate Puma Trophy

The Rugby Championship is a big international rugby union competition. It used to be called the Tri Nations Series from 1996 to 2011. This tournament happens every year. Four strong national teams from the Southern Hemisphere play in it: Argentina, Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa. It's like the Six Nations Championship in the Northern Hemisphere.

The competition is run by a group called SANZAAR. This group includes the rugby unions from all four countries. The first Tri Nations tournament was in 1996. New Zealand won that first title. South Africa won their first in 1998, and Australia won theirs in 2000. Before Argentina joined, New Zealand had won ten championships. South Africa and Australia each had three titles. New Zealand also won the first Rugby Championship in 2012, winning all their games.

New Zealand, South Africa, and Australia are often ranked as top rugby nations. South Africa has won the Rugby World Cup four times. New Zealand has won it three times, and Australia twice. Together, they have won nine out of ten World Cups.

History of The Rugby Championship

How the Tournament Started

Australia and New Zealand first played rugby against each other in 1903. South Africa visited both countries in 1921. But there wasn't a regular competition between these teams for a long time. This was different from the "Home Nations" (now Six Nations Championship) in Europe.

In the 1930s, Australia and New Zealand started playing for the Bledisloe Cup. This happened during their rugby tours.

The idea for the Tri Nations started when rugby union became a professional sport. After the 1995 Rugby World Cup, the rugby unions from South Africa, New Zealand, and Australia formed SANZAR. They signed a big deal to create a competition like Europe's Five Nations.

In 2012, Argentina joined the competition. Argentina had shown great skill in international games. They even finished third in the 2007 Rugby World Cup. Because a fourth team joined, the tournament was renamed The Rugby Championship.

How the Games are Played

The teams play each other at home and away. From 1996 to 2005, each team played the others twice. From 2006 to 2012, they played each other three times. This meant six games per team. However, in Rugby World Cup years (like 2007 and 2011), they went back to playing each other twice.

When Argentina joined in 2012, the format returned to a double round-robin. This means each team plays six games again. In 2015 and 2019, the teams played each other only once. This gave them more time to get ready for the Rugby World Cup.

Other Trophies in the Championship

Besides the main Rugby Championship trophy, there are other cups played for:

• The Bledisloe Cup is for games between Australia and New Zealand.
• The Freedom Cup is for games between New Zealand and South Africa.
• The Mandela Challenge Plate is for games between Australia and South Africa.
• The Puma Trophy is for games between Australia and Argentina.

Tri Nations Era (1996–2011; 2020)

Former logo of the Tri Nations Series.

The first tournament in 1996 was won by the All Blacks. They won all their games. South Africa and Australia each won one game against each other. The first game was New Zealand against Australia. New Zealand won by more than 40 points. Even though New Zealand won all four games, the later matches were much closer. Everyone thought the start of the Tri Nations was a big success.

New Zealand continued to dominate in 1997, winning all their games again. In 1998, South Africa won the tournament, and Australia came in second. New Zealand, who had won twice, finished last with no wins. But in 1999, New Zealand became champions again, and South Africa dropped to last place.

Australia, who were World Champions at the time, won their first Tri Nations in 2000. A huge crowd of 109,874 people watched Australia play New Zealand at Stadium Australia. Jonah Lomu scored a try for the All Blacks right at the end of the game, giving them the win. Many called it one of the greatest games ever.

Australia won the trophy again in 2001. New Zealand won it back in 2002 and defended it in 2003. South Africa won in 2004. All three teams had two wins each, but South Africa won because they had more points. New Zealand won the trophy in 2005, and Australia didn't win any games. In 2006, New Zealand won the trophy with two games still to play.

In 2007, the Tri Nations was shorter because of the Rugby World Cup. New Zealand won both the Tri Nations and the Bledisloe Cup in the final match against Australia. There was some debate because South Africa didn't send their strongest team for away games. New Zealand won again in 2008. In 2009, South Africa won the title by beating New Zealand in Hamilton. In 2010, New Zealand had another strong performance, winning all six of their games.

On December 5, 2020, the Australian National Anthem was sung in the Eora (an Indigenous language) for the first time. This happened before a match between Argentina and Australia.

Adding More Teams

The competition grew in 2006, with each team playing the others three times. In 2007, it went back to two games per team because of the World Cup. There were always talks about Argentina joining. This became official on September 14, 2009. Argentina joined the competition in 2012. There have also been talks about a team from the Pacific Islands joining.

Before joining, Argentina was the only top-tier rugby nation without a regular competition. Some people, like former captain Agustín Pichot, even suggested they join the Six Nations Championship. But Argentina felt they belonged in a Southern Hemisphere tournament. Many people supported Argentina joining the Tri Nations.

By August 2007, it was clear that Argentina would not join before 2010. The main issues were TV contracts, busy schedules, and Argentina's rugby structure. Rugby in Argentina was still amateur. Most of their best players played for clubs in Europe. This would cause problems with scheduling. Argentina had to agree to some conditions to join:

• Make sure their best players were available during the tournament time.
• Develop professional rugby in Argentina with help from SANZAR and the IRB.
• Create a single professional league.

In November 2007, the IRB held a meeting about the future of rugby. A key decision was that Argentina would create a professional rugby structure between 2008 and 2012. This would allow them to fully join the top Southern Hemisphere rugby. Argentina officially joined The Rugby Championship on November 23, 2011.

Japan has also discussed joining the competition. They want to play against stronger teams. Fiji has also been mentioned as a possible candidate. Fiji, Samoa, and Tonga play in the annual World Rugby Pacific Nations Cup.

On October 5, 2023, Fiji's coach confirmed talks about Fiji joining after the 2023 Rugby World Cup. He said Fiji needed good results and a strong rugby setup to be accepted.

How the Competition Works

A South African line-out against New Zealand in 2006

The order of games has changed over time. In the past, each team played the others twice. Now, each team plays the other three times. The tournament starts in July and usually ends in early September. It begins after the Super Rugby competition finishes. This is because many players play in both.

The winner is decided by a points system:

• 4 points for a win
• 2 points for a draw
• 0 points for a loss

Teams can also earn "bonus points":

• The Attacking bonus point: A team gets this if they score at least three more tries than their opponents.
• The Defending bonus point: A team gets this if they lose by seven points or less.

A winning team can get 4 or 5 points. A team that draws can get 2 or 3 points. A losing team can get 0, 1, or 2 points. The team with the most points at the end wins.

If teams have the same number of points, there are rules to break the tie:

• Most wins in the competition.
• Most wins against the tied teams.
• Overall points difference (points scored minus points allowed).
• Points difference between the tied teams.
• Most tries scored in the competition.

The Rugby Championship has never ended in a tie for the top spot.

Tournament Results

Tri-Nations Champions (1996–2011; 2020)

Year	Champions	BC	MCP	FC	PT	WS
1996	New Zealand	New Zealand	Not contested	Not contested	Not contested	Australia
1997	New Zealand	New Zealand				Australia
1998	South Africa	Australia				New Zealand
1999	New Zealand	Australia				South Africa
2000	Australia	Australia				South Africa
2001	Australia	Australia				South Africa
2002	New Zealand	Australia	South Africa			South Africa
2003	New Zealand	New Zealand	Not contested			South Africa
2004	South Africa	New Zealand		South Africa		New Zealand
2005	New Zealand	New Zealand	South Africa	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
2020	New Zealand	New Zealand	Not contested	Not contested	Australia	Australia

The Rugby Championship Winners (2012–Present)

Year	Champions	BC	MCP	FC	PT	WS
2012	New Zealand	New Zealand	Australia	New Zealand	Australia	Argentina
2013	New Zealand	New Zealand	South Africa	New Zealand	Australia	Argentina
2014	New Zealand	New Zealand	South Africa	New Zealand	Australia	Argentina
2015	Australia	New Zealand	Australia	New Zealand	Australia	South Africa
2016	New Zealand	New Zealand	Australia	New Zealand	Australia	Argentina
2017	New Zealand	New Zealand	Australia	New Zealand	Australia	Argentina
2018	New Zealand	New Zealand	Australia	New Zealand	Australia	Argentina
2019	South Africa	New Zealand	South Africa	New Zealand	Australia	Argentina
2021	New Zealand	New Zealand	Australia	New Zealand	Australia	Argentina
2022	New Zealand	New Zealand	Australia	New Zealand	Australia	Argentina
2023	New Zealand	New Zealand	South Africa	New Zealand	Argentina	Australia
2024	South Africa	New Zealand	South Africa	South Africa	Argentina	Australia

Overall Titles (since 1996)

Team	Wins	Bledisloe Cup	N. M. Chall. Plate	Freedom Cup	Puma Trophy	Wooden spoon
New Zealand	20	23	Not a contestant	16	Not a contestant	2
South Africa	5	Not a contestant	8	3	Not a contestant	11
Australia	4	5	13	Not a contestant	13	7
Argentina	0	Not a contestant	Not a contestant	Not a contestant	2	9

Notes:

• The results from 1996–2011 are for the Tri Nations.
• The results from 2012 to the present are for the Rugby Championship.
• Teams played fewer matches in 2007, 2011, 2015, and 2019 because of the Rugby World Cup.
• In 2020, only Argentina, Australia, and New Zealand played in the Tri Nations. South Africa did not join due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Tri Nations (1996–2011; 2020)
Nation	Matches				Points			Bonus points	Table points	Titles won
	P	W	D	L	PF	PA	PD
New Zealand	76	52	0	24	2,054	1,449	+605	35	243	11
Australia	76	30	3	43	1,591	1,817	−226	34	160	3
South Africa	72	28	1	43	1,480	1,831	−351	24	138	3
Argentina	4	1	2	1	56	84	–28	0	8	0
Source:  lassen.co.nz – Tri-Nations, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa Bonus points given by T – 4W − 2D, for T table points, W games won and D games drawn.

Rugby Championship (since 2012)
Nation	Matches				Points			Bonus points	Table points	Titles won
	P	W	D	L	PF	PA	PD
New Zealand	54	45	2	7	1,865	1,020	+876	34	219	8
Australia	54	25	3	26	1,254	1,445	−183	12	126	1
South Africa	54	26	4	24	1,364	1,221	+163	25	137	1
Argentina	54	7	1	46	969	1,774	−828	11	42	0
Updated: 25 September 2022 Source:  lassen.co.nz – TRC, Argentina, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa Bonus points given by T – 4W − 2D, for T table points, W games won and D games drawn.

All-time Tri Nations and Rugby Championship Table (since 1996)
Nation	Matches				Points			Bonus points	Table points	Titles won
	P	W	D	L	PF	PA	PD
New Zealand	130	97	2	31	3,919	2,469	+1,481	69	462	19
Australia	130	55	6	69	2,845	3,262	−409	46	286	4
South Africa	126	54	5	67	2,844	3,052	−514	49	275	4
Argentina	58	8	3	47	1,025	1,858	−856	11	50	0
Updated: 25 September 2022 Bonus points given by T – 4W − 2D, for T table points, W games won and D games drawn.

Attendance at Games

Tri Nations Attendance

The stadium at Eden Park was being renovated for the 2011 Rugby World Cup, so it wasn't at full capacity.
The 2020 tournament was held only in Australia. Stadiums could only be 50% full due to the COVID-19 pandemic. South Africa could not take part.

Rugby Championship Attendance

In 2021, two matches between South Africa and Argentina were played in empty stadiums. This was because crowds were not allowed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Top Players in the Championship

These sections show the players who have scored the most points and tries in The Rugby Championship.

Top Points Scorers Rank Player Team Points 1 Dan Carter New Zealand 554 2 Morné Steyn South Africa 390 3 Nicolás Sánchez Argentina 346 4 Beauden Barrett New Zealand 328 Andrew Mehrtens New Zealand 6 Handré Pollard South Africa 285 7 Matt Burke Australia 271 8 Matt Giteau Australia 266 9 Bernard Foley Australia 249 10 Percy Montgomery South Africa 210 Updated: 28 September 2024 Source: espnscrum.com

Top Try Scorers Rank Player Team Tries 1 Bryan Habana South Africa 21 2 Beauden Barrett New Zealand 20 3 Rieko Ioane New Zealand 19 4 Ben Smith New Zealand 18 5 Richie McCaw New Zealand 17 6 Christian Cullen New Zealand 16 7 Joe Rokocoko New Zealand 15 8 Israel Folau Australia 14 9 Adam Ashley-Cooper Australia 13 Doug Howlett New Zealand Will Jordan New Zealand Julian Savea New Zealand Updated: 28 September 2024 Source: espnscrum.com

U20 Rugby Championship

U20 Rugby Championship

Current season or competition: 2025 U20 Rugby Championship
Sport	Rugby union
Instituted	July 2023; 2 years ago (July 2023)
Inaugural season	2024
Country	Argentina  Australia  New Zealand  South Africa
Holders	New Zealand (2024)
Most titles	New Zealand (1)
Related competition	U20 Six Nations Championship World Rugby U20 Championship

The U20 Rugby Championship is a youth version of The Rugby Championship. It is played between the Under-20 teams from South Africa, New Zealand, Australia, and Argentina.

It was announced in July 2023 that the first youth competition would start in April 2024. It was held on the Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia. Before this, Australia and New Zealand's Under-20 teams played each other every year. But Argentina and South Africa's Under-20 teams did not have a regular competition. The team that finishes first after three rounds is named the champion.

Tournament History

Ed.	Year	Host	First/Second place		Third/Fourth place
			Champion	Runner-up	Third	Fourth
1	2024	Australia	New Zealand	South Africa	Argentina	Australia
2	2025	South Africa	New Zealand	Australia	South Africa	Argentina

Where to Watch the Games

In Australia, you can watch The Rugby Championship on the Nine Network and Stan. Nine shows the Wallabies matches for free. Stan broadcasts all the games. Before 2020, Fox Sports showed the competition. In New Zealand, Sky Sport airs the games. Setanta Sports broadcasts live matches in Asia. Sky Sports shows all games live in the UK and Ireland. ESPN has the rights in North and South America. They show matches on ESPN Latin America and their WatchESPN streaming service.

See also

In Spanish: The Rugby Championship para niños

• History of rugby union matches between Argentina and Australia
• History of rugby union matches between Argentina and New Zealand
• History of rugby union matches between Argentina and South Africa
• History of rugby union matches between Australia and New Zealand
• History of rugby union matches between Australia and South Africa
• History of rugby union matches between New Zealand and South Africa
• Rugby union trophies and awards
• Six Nations Championship, a similar tournament for national teams in the Northern Hemisphere