SANZAR has today announced the finalised draw for The Rugby Championship 2012, where Argentina will join the three teams from the former Tri-Nations in a new elite tournament.
The World Champion All Blacks will feature alongside the Wallabies and Springboks, who round out the top-three in the International Rugby Board rankings, along with the Pumas, who will enter annual competition for the first time.
Argentina finished third in the 2007 Rugby World Cup after beating host nation France twice in Paris, and reached the quarter-finals of the 2011 Rugby World Cup, beating Scotland and narrowly losing to England, before being eliminated by the eventual champions.
Sixteen rich years of competition in the Tri-Nations Series will now evolve into a never-before seen tournament which will not only give the Pumas – seventh in the IRB rankings – a much welcomed entry into a major world rugby tournament, but also see Australia, New Zealand and South Africa travel to Argentina to play.
SANZAR CEO Greg Peters said it was exciting to enter a bold new chapter into rugby history, “with the long anticipated introduction of the Pumas into the world’s best international competition, The Rugby Championship.”
“The original Tri-Nations combatants have won six of the seven Rugby World Cups, while Argentina is a side that has proved its capabilities during Rugby World Cups,” Peters added.
“Since the Tri-Nations began in 1996, Argentina has beaten England, France, Ireland, Scotland and Australia; and it is exciting to see one of the biggest developments for international rugby in South America.
“The passion and excitement of the Pumas’ style of play and that their fans exhibit will bring a totally new dimension to our pre-eminent international tournament.”
The Rugby Championship’s debut season kicks off on 18 August with the Wallabies hosting the All Blacks at ANZ Stadium in Sydney, while later that evening the Pumas will visit DHL Newlands for the first time, playing the Springboks to make their tournament entry.
Auckland, Mendoza, Perth, Wellington, the Gold Coast, Dunedin, Pretoria and La Plata round out the locations for the six-round, eight-week competition, with the final match to be played at the near 95,000-seat FNB Stadium in Soweto, where the Springboks will look to avenge their thrilling 29-22 loss to the All Blacks in 2010.
Notably there are two bye weeks to allow for travel in what will be arguably the toughest international tournament in world rugby, outside of the Rugby World Cup.
“The Pumas’ introduction and location ensures that there will be tough travelling schedules for all involved,” Peters said.
“To balance this, the fixtures have been scheduled in three two-week blocks with week-long travel byes in between.”
The Rugby Championship for 2012 runs from 18 August to 6 October.
The Castle Rugby Championship | FIXTURES
All times CAT (SA, GMT+2)
August 2012
18 Australia v New Zealand ANZ Stadium, Sydney 12:05
18 South Africa v Argentina DHL Newlands, Cape Town 17:00
25 New Zealand v Australia Eden Park, Auckland 09:35
25 Argentina v South Africa Estadio Malvinas Argentinas, Mendoza 21:10
September 2012
8 New Zealand v Argentina Westpac Stadium, Wellington 09:35
8 Australia v South Africa Patersons Stadium, Perth 12:35
15 New Zealand v South Africa Forsyth Barr Stadium, Dunedin 09:35
15 Australia v Argentina Skilled Park, Gold Coast 12:05
29 South Africa v Australia Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria 17:00
30 Argentina v New Zealand Estadio Ciudad de la Plata, La Plata 01:10
October 2012
6 South Africa v New Zealand FNB Stadium, Soweto 17:00
7 Argentina v Australia Estadio Gigante de Arroyita, Rosario 01:10
