Enjoy the last real Rugby Championship as the end looms

well australia could tour argentina america and canada at the same time

This is great news Ben Smith. We’ve gone from having to read your rubbish weekly when we were in Super Rugby for 30 weeks per year down to 4 weeks per year and soon we will only have to read your rubbish once every 4 years. Bloody Brill! How soon can we start?

Why is the home advantage rigged in South Africa’s favour when they play New Zealand?

Of the last 10 tests between the two countries, only 1 was played in NZ, 4 in South Africa, 5 at neutral sites.

This year’s 2 tests will be played in NZ. Then 3 tests in SA in 2026.

Making it 20% of games in NZ, 46.66% in SA. 33.33% at neutral venues.

It’s pretty sad that the boks need this help just to keep them competitive.

I love the idea of National tours again. A country comes over for 4 weeks at a time. Easier viewing less haphazard timefranes than the RC format. They rotate every yr. Hoping that SA and NZ still want to tour to us. Surely the bledisloe continues. That wouldn't be a loss at all IMO. Just like the old days.

well why cant australia do at tour of argentina and canada at the same time

I call BS, how can the SH tournament be eliminated while the NH tournament goes on? Clearly in my opinion its due to the fact that SH teams have dominated RWC tournaments and only ever once have a NH team won the RWC title wich is understandable no boubt but i just cant see TRC just being dropped like that, I Say let us keep our tournament but also impliment the tours but include AUS and ARG and also lets have SARU return to SR also Lets have a global 6 nations tournament wich would include SA,NZ,AUS vs ENG,IRE and FRANCE and there after the SH teams year end tour to the NH but the change will be only that SCOT,ITA,WALES would then be toured and it will be 2 matches each

I think World Rugby is making a big mistake allowing this to happen. Argentina and Australia will be left in the cold and this nations cup will just water down the World Cup. Terrible idea. Great for Springboks and AB’s but bad for world rugby

But then there will be no winter tests in nz next year. Just an autumn tour from the north. So the fans won’t get to see live games. Does that matter? Who knows. On a fraction of audiences watch live.

As for tests, tge movement of players is blurring the idea that you are a national. Look at how the Irish and yes our all blacks are full of foreign born players. National teams are now becoming glorified clubs.

No loss. A single round TRC will have more intensity, will take place every year, and will be supplemented by tours between the four nations. I grew in an era when NZ and Australia took turns touring every two years. They were genuinely great series that stick long in the memory, long after just another anonymous TRC has disappeared down the memory hole.

Wouldn't be surprised in an AB tour of OZ in 2028 is announced fairly soon. Oz alone made $120m from the Lions tour. No reason why at least half that much can't be made for NZ and Oz as a joint venture in 2028.

Frankly, I have no idea why NZ don't insist on being free to arrange its own EOYT in Lions years, given the 6N offer nothing of substance that year. A three test, 8 game tour of Ireland or England would be massive.

You’re making no sense using the word ‘doubt’ Ben. Grammatically it’s not describing anything correctly, you need a different word in it’s place, or another word in place of ‘future’ if doubt is the emotion you’re trying to express. You don’t doubt the future of SR, you doubt that something specific is going to happen in the future, like a restructure or it’s ending, etc. So I’m not sure if your trying to doubt something, or actually having a different emotion about it’s future.

Personally, I’m excited by the Rugby Championship from next year. You make a great point about about how the individual battles against SA and for the Bledisloe have more meaning than ‘new’ titles like the RC or Freedom Cup though, but it’s really the contested model of those titles that is exciting, whether they can be contested in a cool way, and eventually, once these are as old and history infused as the Bledisloe or 6N is now, they will all be melded into one and the mentioned of RC will have the same impact.

I think it’s fine for each team to place its own meaning and importance behind whatever label works for them, it’s just important that we all work as one for the betterment of all.

I think i’m having a nightmare. I agree on having nations tours and all that, but come on!

Why does the shake-up has to affect one region (southern) and not the other (Northern)?

I foresee a strategy here. The less one plays a stronger opponent the weaker you become. Let’s take a look with SR ommission of the Saru teams. It affected both All Blacks and the Wallabies. By including the Pumas to RC it improved the Argentinians. Argentina has been finishing quite comfortably on RWC positions. So my take is by lowering the playing times between the rugby playing nation on the southern hemisphere and making sure the northern keep improving and getting stronger.

“Credit must be given for the shake-up in the Test rugby calendar. It is the crown jewel of the sport, and risks are set to be taken in finding a more meaningful use of the international calendar.”

Away and take your face for a shyte!

Zero risk. Just utter greed and not even the scantest of mentions from WR around developing tier 2 nations.

The rugby championship has always been too small. It was massive when Australia were good and the Boks and NZ were there too and those nations made up the top 3 in its early years. Then when the Wallabies became weaker and the Springboks took a step back in 2015 and 16 the and the comp lost its relevance. Then COVID struck and it became even less relevant. Then with it having truncated versions during world cup years it really became irrelevant. Now with super rugby gone the rugby championship rivalries are no longer stronger than the individual rivalries. Tours are more relevant. It makes sense for the comp to die now.

I agree with you Ben the Bok , All black long tours are the pinnacle of rugby - perhaps only behind Bok vs All black World Cup finals , and you can bet we will see a good few more of those in the future. Good to see some positive southern hem writing from you at long last

I am all for extended tours. I watched the last test of the last NZ tour to South Africa at Loftus in 1996. It was gripping stuff. With 3 or 4 tests in an extended tour, the tension, intensity and drama goes through the roof. Add in the midweek games against the local franchises. For our younger fans, it is really something special.

Can’t wait for the AB's to tour South Africa in 2026

I would like to see the SRC retained in non World Cup seasons but all games played in one country and a format similar to a World Cup pool where each team plays each other once initially. Top 2 teams then meet in a grand final and bottom 2 for 3rd/4th place. Much travel for participants would be avoided and all games could be played at the same venue over 4 weekends. A total of 4 matches per team instead of the current 8 which may lessen the strain on teams. Only drawback is that the host nation has a home advantage but over a 4 year period would balance out.

TRC will go on despite the SB’s / AB’s tours.

Its only in the tour years that it might not take place at all or in a shortened format like RWC years.

Bring on the 7 Nations

Bring on the legit tours. And a TRC every 4 years might be a freshen up. Or not.