It has been announced that the Rugby Championship will not be played in 2026.
The tournament, last won by South Africa and usually contested between South Africa, New Zealand, Australia, and Argentina, will take a one-year break.
This break has been introduced to make room for New Zealand’s tour of world champions South Africa — a series described as “The Greatest Rivalry” — as well as the launch of World Rugby’s first-ever Nations Championship.
As a result, the Rugby Championship will return in 2027, taking place earlier than its traditional July and August schedule. It has been confirmed that the tournament will continue as normal in 2028 and 2029 but will pause again for an international multi-week tour, likely to feature another series between the Springboks and the All Blacks.
Sanzaar CEO Brendan Morris said:
“Looking ahead, our joint venture is committed to driving the next chapter of southern hemisphere rugby. After listening to what supporters, broadcasters and our stakeholders want, we’ve worked with the unions to craft a bold and dynamic schedule.”