Rugby Championship: Dates, teams, venues, history & more

The Rugby Championship may be small but it is perfectly formed and brings together four rugby powerhouses, all vying to be kings of the southern hemisphere.

Rugby Championship dates

The Rugby Championship usually begins in August and runs until the first weekend in October, however due to the new Nations Championship, even numbered years will no longer see a Rugby Championship take place, with the next edition taking place in 2027.

Rugby Championship teams

The tournament is an expansion of the old Tri-Nations and features New Zealand, South Africa, Australia and Argentina.

Rugby Championship venues/stadiums

The 2025 Rugby Championship saw a game held in the Northern Hemisphere for the first time as Argentina "host" South Africa.

The list of venues from the previous iteration is below.

• Argentina: Estadio José Amalfitani, Twickenham Stadium
• Australia: Queensland Country Bank Stadium, Optus Stadium, Allianz Stadium
• New Zealand: Wellington Regional Stadium, Eden Park
• South Africa: Ellis Park Stadium, Cape Town Stadium, Kings Park Stadium

Rugby Championship how to watch

The Rugby Championship is usually available to watch live in the UK on Sky Sports Action, however the broadcaster for the 2027 iteration will likely be confirmed closer to the time.

Rugby Championship format

The Rugby Championship traditionally sees all four teams play each other twice, home and away, with teams awarded four points for a win, two for a draw and none for a defeat.

Two bonus points are on offer in each match with an attacking bonus point available if a team scores three tries or more, while there’s another bonus point up for grabs for teams losing by seven points or fewer.

Rugby Championship schedule

The fixtures for the 2027 Rugby Championship will be confirmed in due course.

Rugby Championship history

The southern hemisphere’s answer to the Six Nations came into existence in the early days of the professional era with the formation of the Tri-Nations in 1995.

An agreement between the unions from New Zealand, Australia and South Africa saw the creation of SANZAR, a body made up of the CEOs from the three nations.

In 1995, they proposed not only the club rugby tournament now known as Super Rugby but an international competition between the three founding members.

New Zealand, South Africa and Australia would contest the first Tri-Nations in 1996 and it wasn’t until 2012 that the competition was expanded when Argentina joined.

The tournament was renamed the Rugby Championship with the addition of the Pumas and there has been a suggestion of Japan and Fiji joining the party from 2027 onwards.

New Zealand are the record winners of the Rugby Championship with ten titles, while South Africa have three successes and Australia have one.