Missed opportunity as SANZAAR greenlights All Blacks, Springboks tours, confirms Rugby Championship’s future

The future of the Rugby Championship has been confirmed through to 2030, with SANZAAR ushering in an ‘exciting new era of southern hemisphere rugby’ by releasing its international rugby calendar for the next five years.

Following the conclusion of the most competitive Rugby Championship since Los Pumas joined the tournament back in 2012, the SANZAAR Member Unions (Argentina, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa) have signed off on a new calendar that will see the introduction of multi-week tours and a full tournament before the Rugby World Cup in 2027.

• The tournament will be shelved in 2026 and 2030
• For the first time, a full Rugby Championship will be played before a Rugby World Cup
• Multi-week tours will occur in 2026 and 2030
• The calendar also includes World Rugby’s proposed Nations Championship to be played in 2026, 2028 and 2030
• What happens to the Bledisloe Cup?
• The massive opportunity missed because of New Zealand’s reservations

Everything you need to know about the new calendar

The announcement from SANZAAR on Thursday ends months of speculation and confirms that a change of heart occurred following the action seen on the pitch this year.

It was reported during the 2025 Rugby Championship that the four member unions had agreed to shift to a tours format for 2028, almost certainly spelling the end of the tournament as we know it, but that has all changed with Rugby Australia CEO Phil Waugh credited with campaigning for the U-turn decision.

In 2028, the Wallabies were set to tour New Zealand for three matches, before the All Blacks would go on a similar tour to Argentina, while the Springboks would also have toured Australia.

However, that has been binned with a full Rugby Championship instead, taking place that year after the 2025 edition went right down to the final weekend of action.

SANZAAR’s announcement on Thursday all but confirms that the ‘Greatest Rivalry’ tour will debut in 2026 with the All Blacks scheduled to face off against the Springboks three times in South Africa – and once at an international venue – while also tackling the four URC franchises. The Boks are then set to tour New Zealand in 2030 with a similar playing schedule.

In another big shift, the Rugby Championship will resume in 2027, and it will be a FULL tournament played over July and August. Previously, a shortened competition would take place in Rugby World Cup years, but that will not be the case in 2027, as the member unions have made the decision to better prepare the four nations for the World Cup in Australia.

“Importantly, it will also deliver for the first time a full Rugby Championship (TRC) tournament in a Rugby World Cup year (2027), allowing the SANZAAR nations an excellent preparation and run-in to the tournament,” the statement read.

SANZAAR International Rugby Calendar 2026-2030

What happens to the Bledisloe Cup in 2026 and 2030?

With the Springboks and All Blacks alternating multi-week tours in 2026 and 2030, SANZAAR has confirmed that the Bledisloe Cup will still be competed for during those years.

Australia and New Zealand are set to collide in the October following the ‘Greatest Rivalry Tours’, but it has not been confirmed how many times the Wallabies and All Blacks will compete during those years.

However, Waugh has thrown his backing behind the series returning to the best of three Tests, which has not occurred since 2021.

“I think that everyone probably wants a three-match Test series,” Waugh said on Stan Sport.

“One of the big challenges right across world rugby is just the calendar and how do you ensure that your scheduling allows it to happen, and obviously player welfare and fatigue is a big part of that, but you have to think about the actual concept [and if] you think about successful tournaments and series, they’re normally an odd number and best of three.

“If you have the opportunity to play three Tests, then I think that it’s a logical step next.”

World Rugby’s Nations Championship

The calendar also includes the proposed Nations Championship to be played in 2026, 2028 and 2030.

The concept will see the twelve biggest rugby nations in the world, packed with the best players in the sport, meeting across two rounds of fixtures in July and November every two years to decide the dominant nation and the balance of power between rugby’s hemispheres.

The format of the competition is set to include a “European Conference”, consisting of the Six Nations [England, France, Italy, Ireland, Scotland and Wales] unions, and a “Rest of World Conference” comprising the SANZAAR nations, in addition to the two invited unions [reportedly Fiji and Japan].

Following positive meetings with rugby’s major stakeholders in Dublin today, here is the proposed Nations Championship format. pic.twitter.com/7lOzBgHWC7

— World Rugby (@WorldRugby) March 14, 2019

This competition is set to replace the current format of the July and November international windows.

Listening to the fans and broadcasters

SANZAAR’s calendar announcement includes the 2027 Men’s Rugby World Cup and the 2029 Women’s Rugby World Cup in Australia, as well as the 2029 British & Irish Lions tour to New Zealand.

Commenting on the announcement of the new global calendar, SANZAAR CEO Brendan Morris said the organisation listened to the fans and broadcasters to deliver the ‘innovative calendar’.

“Looking ahead, our joint venture is committed to driving the next chapter of southern hemisphere rugby. By collaborating closely with our Unions and valued broadcasting and commercial partners, we’ve developed an innovative calendar designed to deliver thrilling rugby experiences and set new benchmarks for the game in the years to come,” he said.

“This new calendar for Southern Hemisphere rugby is all about bringing to the fans the highest level of world-class rugby and action. Indeed, after listening to what supporters, broadcasters and our stakeholders want, we’ve worked with the Unions to craft a bold and dynamic schedule designed to deliver unforgettable moments every year.

“Whether you’re cheering at the ground or watching at home, get ready for an era of electrifying matches, fierce rivalries, and world-class rugby experiences that put our passionate supporters front and centre. It’s a new dawn for southern hemisphere rugby, and we can’t wait for our fans to be part of this exciting journey.

“The future of southern hemisphere rugby is brighter than ever. Our member unions have a proud record on the international stage, and SANZAAR believes this new calendar will assist in strengthening this record, while delivering to the fans unparalleled excitement and access to the world’s best rugby.”

Missed opportunity

There is a glaringly obvious opportunity missed that accompanies the confirmation of the calendar through to 2030, and that is, of course, the non-alignment with the Six Nations.

It has been reported that the SANZAAR nations have an appetite to move the Rugby Championship to the same international window as the Six Nations, but New Zealand Rugby have been holding out.

Had the Rugby Championship moved to earlier in the year and aligned with the northern hemisphere’s premier international tournament, it would have created the closest thing to a global calendar since the game went professional.

The sign-off through to 2030 means this is unlikely to happen until the new schedule is decided for 2031 and beyond, but the late change of heart this year provides some hope that the calendar could be tweaked before then.

According to Rapport, New Zealand Rugby may be “convinced” to go along with the proposal to shift the Rugby Championship to earlier in the year should the Six Nations organisers move their tournament forward by two weeks.

READ MORE: How reluctant New Zealand can be ‘convinced’ to accept bold Rugby Championship switch