Due to the introduction of the Nations Championship next year, those inbound July tours by northern hemisphere teams could largely become a thing of the past.
The Nations Championship part of the puzzle
The Nations Championship, or Nations Cup, will launch next year. As the Herald has previously reported, Ireland, France and Italy are likely to travel south to face the Wallabies. The new 12-nation tournament will feature six north-vs-south fixtures before a “finals weekend” in the last week of November.
New Zealand will be touring South Africa on an eight-game tour in 2026.Credit: Getty Images
The Wallabies, therefore, are set to play England, Scotland and Wales at the end of next year, followed by a final Test to determine their final placing in the Nations Championship standings. Rugby administrators believe there is more jeopardy – and more money – in this format. One downside, however, is the impact on July inbound tours.
The Nations Championship will be held every two years, reducing the window for northern tours, but the new Sanzaar tours format will pick up some of the slack.
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What it all means for the Bledisloe Cup
The new calendar is separate from Rugby Australia’s ongoing push for an Anzac Day Bledisloe Test – a concept that New Zealand Rugby chair David Kirk has at least shown some willingness to revisit, according to an interview with the Herald. It is understood there will be two Bledisloe Tests next year following the All Blacks’ tour of South Africa – one in New Zealand and one in Australia.
That two-game format is likely to continue, although there is also the enticing prospect of a three-Test tour in 2028: either the Wallabies heading to New Zealand, or the All Blacks coming to Australia.
One issue for the potential Anzac Test is fierce opposition from the five New Zealand Super Rugby clubs, even if Kirk himself is sympathetic to the idea. RA will at least gain something from the All Blacks-South Africa tour, with broadcast revenue from Sky New Zealand and SuperSport in South Africa flowing into the shared Sanzaar pot.
The Tahs kids are all right
A very young Waratahs side embarrassed the Reds 47-19 in Super Rugby AU Narrabri on Saturday, with fullback James Hendren building on last week’s promising round one showing with four tries. Les Kiss, the usually calm Reds coach, must have felt like blasting his side afterward, as several older heads were poor in the second half, failing to stick to basics such as respecting possession.
Perhaps the Reds got ahead of themselves after seeing the inexperienced Waratahs team sheet, especially in the backline. But what the Waratahs lacked in experience and size, they made up for with ambition in their play.
Teddy Wilson predictably made a big impact when he came on at halfback, while Hendren and Jackson Ropata – who wore No.13 against the Reds after playing at No.12 the week before – are clearly players to watch, and the new competition is already proving its worth.