![\"RUGBYU-CHAMPIONSHIP-RSA-ARG\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/\/7c46354c-da87-4c94-8135-8dc3689f9078.jpg\")
<\/p>\nRassie Erasmus has admitted he does not know how the southern hemisphere schedule will look next year, when the All Blacks\u2019 tour to South Africa will marginalise the Rugby Championship. <\/p>\n
This year\u2019s Rugby Championship has been one of the most exciting and volatile since Argentina joined in 2012. The Springboks are top of the table and will face the Pumas at Twickenham on Saturday in the final round. <\/p>\n
However, from 2026 the tournament is set to be watered down. The expected launch of the \u201cGreatest Rugby Rivalry\u201d between the All Blacks and Springboks, the first traditional tour between the countries for 30 years, will lead to a truncated series of southern hemisphere fixtures. New Zealand would travel to South Africa for midweek fixtures and potentially four Tests, one of which could be in London, before a reciprocal visit four years later. There is expected to be no official Rugby Championship in 2026 \u2014 when the new Nations Cup begins \u2014 2028 or 2030, but there could be smaller series of matches such as the Bledisloe Cup between Australia and New Zealand.<\/p>\n
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Erasmus says he is in the dark over how the Championship fits in around the new international competitions<\/p>\n
PHILL MAGAKOE\/AFP<\/p>\n
\u201cI know next year is the Greatest Rivalry and the touring of New Zealand,\u201d Erasmus, the South Africa head coach, said. \u201cI\u2019m not in a board room so I don\u2019t know exactly how it will work. We love playing against Argentina and against Australia and I\u2019m not quite sure how that\u2019s going to work out.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Springboks threw away a 22-0 lead to lose 38-22 against Australia<\/a> at Ellis Park in August, setting in motion a thrilling Rugby Championship. Argentina beat the All Blacks in Buenos Aires and the Wallabies in Sydney, and South Africa consigned New Zealand to a 43-10 defeat in Wellington<\/a>. Australia will host New Zealand in Perth on Saturday morning before the final match at Twickenham in the afternoon.<\/p>\n It is a \u201chome\u201d fixture for Argentina, although South Africa have turned England into familiar neutral territory, proving popular among a significant expatriate community. The Springboks beat New Zealand at Twickenham before the 2023 World Cup and played Wales there last year. They will face Japan at Wembley on November 1. <\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m not on the financial side of things but I think obviously this is Argentina\u2019s game to take and host it here,\u201d Erasmus said. \u201cI think there are some commercial reasons behind that, I\u2019m not 100 per cent sure, but it\u2019s also, I think, both of our teams travelling just an overnight flight and you\u2019re back into [training]. If we travelled back to Argentina, I think both teams would have been a little bit time-zoned. <\/p>\n \u201cI must say the Argentina team are sacrificing a hell of a lot. Their players are playing all over the world. They\u2019ve played against New Zealand at home but then Australia away, then straight from Australia to South Africa, straight from South Africa to London and then they go all over to their clubs.\u201d<\/p>\n