SANZAAR reveals ‘bold and dynamic’ rugby calendar for 2026-2030

Finals now for Super Rugby Pacific.

Marvellous news for the two Australian teams that they not just play in New Zealand, which is fine as the Hurricanes and Chiefs were the winners, but also play against TWO Kiwi referees too!

This is disgraceful, we should have NEUTRAL referees specially for finals rugby.

To be honest if I was the coach of the Reds or Brumbies I would not let the team on the plane!

What an opportunity for ABs to try out different dudes

I really hope that in the WC year that the TRC nations put out their XVs squads to play the other SH nations and ensure they have a good build up to the WC, given that they won’t have the same availability to play them against the national side. Having a good amount of competition amongst it’s own region is going to be very important for Tier 2 sides bridge the gap, rather than having to live out of the suitcase against NH nations.

Fans were getting tired of TRC every year and 3 in 4 might be the right number. Theres really no point in having it after a WC, I would prefer the change the window to that date. So create some tour cycle to start in 2032, amongst the SANZAAR nations. Let the WC Champion reign supreme and not have to prove it by following it up the following year in TRC. Tours are a great way to spice it up and create a whole different dynamic. Even if it’s still a tour between the two champion teams a series victory is a very different beast to a one off match, and so the deciding of a completely different type of champion. Having it a year before the WC just seems out of place.

From an NZ perspective (player eligibility) that would also give players good reason to continue past the WC, while also being able to intergrate the next generation with the larger touring squads. And for say touring Argentina, they could make a Lions type tour, the opposite way, where the country touring has tests against Los Pumas, but instead of playing their domestic SRA sides midweek, they could play SA T2 nations (of it it’s the same thing anyway, the non SRA franchise teams). Not sure how you could make touring Australia special.

The competition is reduced by 40 percent for the next five year cycle, because of tours, and they try and put a positive spin on it by calling it bold and dynamic!

So the news is just confirmation of the International Tour Series in 2026 and 2030, and that in those years 1/ TRC will not take place, and 2/ a separate Bledisloe Cup series will be implemented.

Everything else (RWC, Nations Championship and TRC in other years) is unchanged.

Obvious questions include: 1/ what will Australia and Argentina be doing in the International Tour Series window, and 2/ what will SA and Argentina be doing in the Bledisloe Cup window.