Sydney start: All Blacks
Related links
Teams
Also see
New Zealand will begin their Rugby Championship title defence away to Australia when the tournament kicks off on August 17.
The first Bledisloe Cup match will take place at the ANZ Stadium in Sydney, with South Africa entertaining Argentina in Bloemfontein.
The reverse fixtures will take place seven days later - with the Wallabies travelling to Wellington and the Pumas hosting the Boks to Mendoza.
That will be the first of three successive home games for the All Blacks - with Argentina taking on the World Cup winners at Waikato Stadium on September 7 before South Africa visit Eden Park.
SANZAR CEO Greg Peters said it was exciting to release the draw for the Rugby Championship as Test rugby closed out for the year.
"In 2012 we saw The Rugby Championship played for the first time, welcoming the Pumas into the fold alongside the original Tri-Nations teams, which saw the All Blacks claim inaugural success with an unbeaten charge to the title," Peters said.
"The Rugby Championship will again feature the best teams in the world. With the recent End of Year Tests yielding 10 victories for our competing rugby nations.
"The Pumas claimed a historic win in Cardiff against Six Nations champions Wales, the Springboks went through Europe unbeaten, while the All Blacks and Wallabies won three of their four Tests."
Peters said that the new dimension that Argentina brought to The Rugby Championship was evident with the fan response through the six rounds.
"A total of over 16 million viewers tuned into the twelve Tests of The Rugby Championship and an average of 44,000 attended the matches, which saw stadiums at 91% capacity, with the 88,739 crowd that saw the All Blacks come back from a half time deficit to defeat the Springboks 32-16 at FNB Stadium in Soweto the most attended match of the season," Peters said.
"The first round of action, with the Wallabies playing the All Blacks in Sydney, and the Springboks hosting the Pumas in Bloemfontein, will have added spice considering the last time each of these two nations played - the result was an 18-18 and 16-16 draw respectively.
"We are also pleased to announce that the format for 2013 will be consistent with the recent season to enable Unions and fans to have certainty on which weekends matches will be played in their territories."
2013 Rugby Championship fixtures
August 17: Australia v New Zealand, ANZ Stadium, Sydney. South Africa v Argentina, Free State Stadium, Bloemfontein.
August 24: New Zealand v Australia, Westpac Stadium, Wellington. Argentina v South Africa, Estadio Malvinas Argentinas, Mendoza.
September 7: Australia v South Africa, Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane. New Zealand v Argentina, Waikato Stadium, Hamilton.
September 14: Australia v Argentina, Patersons Stadium, Perth. New Zealand v South Africa, Eden Park, Auckland.
September 28: South Africa v Australia, Newlands Stadium, Cape Town. Argentina v New Zealand, Estadio Ciudad de La Plata, La Plata.
October 5: South Africa v New Zealand, Coca-Cola Park, Johannesburg. Argentina v Australia, Estadio Gigante de Arroyito, Rosario.
Comments
7ton says...
bokavenger
No need for me to explain what you say was Craig Jouberts blatant biased refereeing as it simply was not. We have discussed all that in a previous article as you well know. So stick to the subject and answer the questions I put to you.
How can you explain the video which clearly shows the ball going between the posts and the immediate reaction of the French players.
Posted 19:23 19th January 2013
BokAvenger says...
@7ton: The IRB is a South African free zone. They don't like us and will do everything in their power to undermine us. Paddy O'Brien blocked the appointment of Andre Watson so that SA could have no influence. Oregan Hoskins finally got given some lame position after the debacle of the 2011 Rigged World Cup.
And even if you're right about the penalty. How do you explain Craig Joubert's blatantly biased refereeing in favour of the ABs?
Posted 14:50 19th January 2013
7ton says...
@Golden_statenba
You are right! Thankyou.
It is a waste of time trying to reason with someone who sees nothing but a world wide conspiracy against SA while somehow The IRB which is made up of delegates from many countries are all so much in love with NZ that they conspire to rig not just the WC but the RC and even actually permit England to beat them.
It's just laughable!!
Posted 12:04 19th January 2013
7ton says...
bokavenger
As I said the video you posted is not very clear but if you look very closely you can just make out the ball going between the posts.
The video I posted is of better quality and the ball clearly goes between the posts So how can you account for that?
The actual replay of the game clearly shows French players watching the ball going over.
Surely if you know anything about rugby you would realise that when a penalty kick is taken defending players will position themselves in front of the posts and watch the ball closely in case it rebounds of the posts back into play.
To assume the French players would be so stupid as to not to do so is really quite insulting.
The French players had a far better view than you did during the game and from your blurred video.
Posted 11:49 19th January 2013
Golden_statenba says...
@7ton
Give it up!?
You don't have to defend a game which your team won fair and square!?
Your team are the world champs and rugby championship champs.
BA(BullS@!t Artist)team came... Can't remember it was 6th? maybe? and third?? In the RC.
Like her team uniform green in many ways
Posted 09:05 19th January 2013
BokAvenger says...
@7ton: I completely disagree that "the ball can be seen going through the posts in both videos". It clearly misses the right hand upright in the video I posted. Regarding the reaction of the French players: none of them were in a good enough position to see that the ball had missed in what was admittedly a very, very close shave. When you're tired, battered, it's raining and a crowd of 60,000 roars in unison because the touch judge flags were raised, signalling the ball went over you assume it did. Especially when the angle at which you were standing was not ideal
Posted 04:01 19th January 2013
7ton says...
bokavenger
I never said an actual different colour but shade which was obviously because in the one video it was much clearer and of a better quality and things were not so blurred.
One video shows the ball clearly going between the posts-the other faintly going between.
Can you explain how the ball can be seen going through the posts in both videos?
As for the French players the replay shows some of them actually watching the ball going between the posts then turning and running back to the half way without the slightest hint of protest.
C'mon Do you really think players themselves don't watch if a kick goes over?
Posted 18:30 18th January 2013
BokAvenger says...
@7ton: why would the ball in my video be a different colour to the ball in your video if it's footage of the same event? The reaction of the french player's is meaningless. They could never have imagined that officials would blatantly ignore a penalty in a RWC final. They just assumed the ref got it right. It was only when they got back and watched the footage that they would have realised the blatant error.
Posted 15:12 18th January 2013
7ton says...
bokavenger
I've already seen that video and it is no where near as clear as the one I posted.
The ball in your video is almost the same shade white as the posts which gives an initial false impression of the ball disappearing but if you look very closely and with both eyes open you can see the faint image of the ball passing between the posts. So your video like mine proves the kick went over.
Further the reaction of the French players standing near the posts who watched it go over and just turned and ran back to the halfway line without any protest or hesitation makes it really obvious.
Posted 13:18 18th January 2013
BokAvenger says...
@Trinats2: I understand too. You being Australian, your English skills are as poor as someone who speaks the language as their 3rd tongue. Hence I have no idea what you are on about with that mangled logic
Posted 12:38 18th January 2013
BokAvenger says...
@7ton: Here is a video that proves it DID NOT go through..
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J9lriwZ0c4w
Posted 12:35 18th January 2013
7ton says...
bokavenger
Here is a video that clearly shows Donalds kick going between the posts.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dcWPTyzm0y4
Posted 11:08 18th January 2013
7ton says...
Trinats2
BTW Happy New year and good luck to your reds in the coming S15
Posted 10:43 18th January 2013
7ton says...
Trinats2
Lol! And another ref in the Wales/France semi in 2011 and Wales may have been in the final. Who Knows! Any ref but Wayne Barnes in 07 in the NZ/France quarter final and blah, blah, blah,
Posted 10:39 18th January 2013
Trinats2 says...
BokAvenger:
I know where you are coming from, you been Afrikkans, English is your second language. "don't think the 2011 was rigged" means I don't think it was rigged like 1995, but think France were the better team in the final and NZ were very lucky to have a dodgy saffa as the ref !!!
So yes you are right I guess, IRB could have had anyone to ref the final. Say for example one that is not off the six nations or tri nations. Or one that already has a gold watch !!!
Posted 10:09 18th January 2013
letsgoboks says...
The kiwis have a lot to answer for after losing that game against the english. It's done no one favours in the rugby world.
Look forward to seeing these boys in action again. they are true champions!
Posted 09:46 18th January 2013
BokAvenger says...
@TriNuts: Ha, ha..mate. You start of by lampooning me and then in the final sentence you admit that I'm right. ie. That the IRB appointed officials handed the final to NZ on a silver platter.
Posted 06:07 18th January 2013
Trinats2 says...
BokAvenger:
The 1995 was the biggest set up ever, and all it cost you was gold watches for refs and 100ml of food poisoning !!! It was so contrived it's comical.
2007 you were lucky, finished bottom of the tri nations yet again and missed all the top teams to get to the most boring final ever. bet you are proud of that one !!!
I don't think the 2011 was rigged, NZ have been on top for a number of years, but if there had of been another ref and not Joubert for the final, France would have Bill now, and every kiwi knows that. Or if it was played anywhere else but NZ!!!
Posted 01:43 18th January 2013
BokAvenger says...
@Melkiwi: You have it all wrong. In 1995 the IRB, and indeed the rugby world, were so convinced that the ABs would win that there was no need to influence the refs. Unfortunately, the big bad racist yarpies [sic] had other ideas and tore up the script meaning the IRB's precious marketing gimmick was left with egg on its face. Fortunately, the sight of Nelson Mandela at the final, made for even better TV than an AB win. Commercially, it proved to be even better than their own script so they let it slide. NZ was bound to win the next one they thought. Unfortunately those blasted French put 40+ points on the ABs in the semis and blew them out of the tournament. That was a minor problem for the IRB, although on the bright side at least those nasty Saffas didn't win again. 2007 had to be the year of the ABs. Sadly, the darn French had other ideas again and effectively handed the tournament to the evil yarpies again. Now the IRB was worried. It's precious marketing gimmick was being derided in the popular press and those horrible Saffas had won more tournaments than anyone else in half the time. The last thing they wanted was for the evil racist yarpies to be held up as the epitome of rugby excellence. Fortunately they had a cunning plan. Paddy O'Brien, renowned yarpie hater, was their head of referrees. All they needed to do was turn a blind eye to his blatant bias and the script would write itself. As we saw in the 2011 Rigged World Cup, it certainly did. The IRB's predetermined rugby order was restored.
Posted 06:43 17th January 2013
Melkiwi says...
@bokavenger yeah it does make sense, that's the same way SA won the 1995 World Cup and 07, cause lets me honest the French won that semi but the try was disallowed and same again in 07 when the all blacks were knockout by France to ensure a SA win. It all makes sense now, Abs and SA are the IRB's trophy teams
Posted 22:13 16th January 2013