The Rugby Championship facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
The Rugby Championship

Current season 2024 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. Four strong teams from the Southern Hemisphere play in it every year: Argentina, Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa. These are usually the top-ranked rugby teams in their part of the world. A similar tournament in the Northern Hemisphere is called the Six Nations.

The competition is run by a group called SANZAAR. This group includes the main rugby bodies from South Africa, New Zealand, Australia, and Argentina. New Zealand won the very first Tri Nations tournament in 1996. South Africa won their first title in 1998, and Australia in 2000. Before the tournament changed names in 2011, New Zealand had won ten championships, while South Africa and Australia each had three. New Zealand also won the first Rugby Championship in 2012, winning all their games.

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

History of the Championship

How it Started

Australia and New Zealand first played rugby against each other in 1903. South Africa also toured both countries in 1921. But there wasn't a regular competition between these teams, unlike the Home Nations in Europe. They only played sometimes.

In the 1930s, Australia and New Zealand started playing for the Bledisloe Cup when their teams toured.

The idea for the Tri Nations competition came about when rugby union became a professional sport. After the 1995 Rugby World Cup, the rugby unions from South Africa, New Zealand, and Australia created SANZAR. They signed a big deal to start a new competition. The goal was to have a tournament like the Five Nations in Europe.

In 2012, the competition grew to include Argentina. Argentina had been playing very well in international games, especially when they 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, the three teams played each other twice. From 2006 to 2012, each team played the others three times, making 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 changed again. Each team now plays six games, facing every other team twice. In 2015 and 2019, the format was shortened to just one game against each team. This was to give players more time to get ready for the Rugby World Cup.

Other Trophies Played For

Besides the main Rugby Championship trophy, there are other special trophies:

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

The Tri Nations Years (1996-2011)

Former logo of the Tri Nations Series.

New Zealand's team, the All Blacks, were very strong in the first tournament in 1996. They won all their games. South Africa and Australia each won only one game. The first Tri Nations was a big success.

New Zealand continued to dominate in 1997, winning all their matches again. But in 1998, South Africa won the tournament, with Australia finishing second. New Zealand, who had won twice, ended up last with no wins that year. In 1999, New Zealand became champions again, and South Africa dropped to the bottom.

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 that year. Jonah Lomu scored a try right at the end of the game to give New Zealand the win. Many people called it one of the greatest rugby games ever.

Australia won the trophy again in 2001. But New Zealand took it back in 2002 and defended it in 2003. In 2004, South Africa won the tournament. All three teams had two wins each, but South Africa won because they had more points overall. New Zealand won again in 2005 and 2006.

In 2007, the Tri Nations was shorter because of the Rugby World Cup. New Zealand won both the Tri Nations and the Bledisloe Cup that year. South Africa didn't send their strongest team to some away games to save players for the World Cup. New Zealand won again in 2008. In 2009, South Africa won the title. New Zealand had another amazing year in 2010, winning all six of their games and the tournament with two games left.

On December 5, 2020, a special moment happened before a game between Argentina and Australia. The Australian National Anthem was sung for the first time in the Eora indigenous language.

Adding More Teams

The competition grew in 2006, with each team playing three times. But in 2007, it went back to two games per team because of the World Cup. There were always talks about adding Argentina. This finally happened on September 14, 2009, when it was announced Argentina would join in 2012. There have also been talks about including a team from the Pacific Islands.

Before joining, Argentina was the only top rugby nation without a regular competition. Some people even thought they might join the Six Nations in Europe. But Argentina felt they belonged in a Southern Hemisphere tournament. Many people supported Argentina joining, saying it would make the tournament more exciting.

The International Rugby Board (IRB) helped make the deal happen. There were a few challenges to adding Argentina. One was how to share the money from TV rights. Another was that rugby in Argentina was still mostly amateur. Most of their best players played for clubs in Europe, which could cause scheduling problems.

To join, Argentina had to:

• Make sure their best players could play during the Rugby Championship season.
• Develop professional rugby in Argentina with help from SANZAR and the IRB.
• Create a single professional league in their country.

In November 2007, the IRB decided that Argentina would be "fully integrated" into top-level Southern Hemisphere rugby by 2012. Argentina officially joined The Rugby Championship in Buenos Aires on November 23, 2011.

Japan has also talked about joining the competition to play stronger teams. They used to dominate the Asia Rugby Championship. Fiji is another team mentioned, as they are often the best "Tier 2" rugby country. Fiji, Samoa, and Tonga already play in the annual World Rugby Pacific Nations Cup.

In October 2023, Fiji's coach, Simon Raiwalui, confirmed that discussions were happening about Fiji joining after the 2023 Rugby World Cup. He said Fiji needed to show good results, rankings, and strong management to be accepted.

How the Competition Works

A South African line-out against New Zealand in 2006

The order of games has changed over the years. In the past, each team played the others twice. Now, the competition usually starts in July and finishes in early September. This is after the Super Rugby competition ends, as many players are involved 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":

• Attacking bonus point: Since 2016, a team gets this if they score at least three more tries than their opponent. Before 2016, it was for scoring four or more tries, no matter the result.
• Defending bonus point: A team gets this if they lose by seven points (like a converted try) or less.

So, 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, they look at:

• Total number of wins.
• Number of wins against the tied teams.
• Overall points difference (points scored minus points conceded).
• Points difference between the tied teams.
• Most tries scored in the competition.

If they are still tied, the title is shared. However, the Rugby Championship has never ended in a tie for the top spot.

Results

Tri-Nations (1996–2011)

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

The Rugby Championship (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
2020	New Zealand	New Zealand	Not contested	Not contested	Australia	Australia
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

Total Wins (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. Results from 2012 onwards 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 could 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

Tri Nations Attendance

Eden Park stadium was being renovated for the 2011 Rugby World Cup, so it couldn't be completely full.
The 2020 tournament was played only in Australia. Due to the COVID-19 Pandemic, stadiums could only be 50% full. South Africa could not take part that year.

Rugby Championship Attendance

The two matches between South Africa and Argentina in 2021 were played in empty stadiums in South Africa because of the COVID-19 Pandemic.
Attendance data is current as of Argentina vs Australia (September 7, 2024).

Top Scorers

Here are 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: September 28, 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: September 28, 2024 Source: espnscrum.com

U20 Rugby Championship

U20 Rugby Championship

Current season or competition: 2024 U20 Rugby Championship
Sport	Rugby union
Instituted	July 2023; 23 months 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 version of the main competition for younger players, aged under 20. It features the same four teams from SANZAAR: South Africa, New Zealand, Australia, and Argentina.

In July 2023, it was announced that the first U20 Rugby Championship would be held in April 2024. It took place on the Gold Coast in Australia. Before this, Australia and New Zealand's U20 teams played each other every year in the Oceania Rugby Under 20 Championship. But Argentina and South Africa's U20 teams didn't 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

Where to Watch

In Australia, you can watch the Rugby Championship on the Nine Network and Stan. Nine shows the Wallabies (Australia's team) games for free, while Stan broadcasts all matches. In New Zealand, Sky Sport airs the competition. In Asia, Setanta Sports broadcasts the games. In the UK and Ireland, Sky Sports shows all games live. In North and Latin America, ESPN holds the rights, showing games on ESPN Latin America and its 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