THE modified bonus point system introduced into Super Rugby this season will be adopted for the upcoming Rugby Championship.
Teams will be awarded a bonus point for finishing three or more tries ahead of their opponent, replacing the old system of a bonus point for scoring four or more tries.
The bonus point for losing by seven or fewer points remains unchanged.
SANZAAR has also confirmed that Twickenham will host its first Rugby Championship match with the Wallabies facing Argentina in a Pumas’ home game.
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That match, which is the final game of the Championship, will be played on October 8.
Australia opens their title defence in a clash with world champions New Zealand in Sydney on August 20 before the teams meet again seven days later in Wellington.
On September 10, the Wallabies host South Africa in Brisbane and the following week they play Argentina in Perth.
Australia then play the Springboks in Pretoria on October 1 before the London match.
About Rugby Championship
The Rugby Championship (TRC) is one of the pre-eminent international rugby union competitions in world rugby. It is contested annually by Argentina, Austraila, New Zealand, and South Africa. It is owned and managed by SANZAAR.
SANZAAR is an incorporated Joint Venture between the four participating national unions and its head office is located in Sydney, Australia.
Prior to the 2012 tournament, when Argentina entered The Rugby Championship, it was known as the Tri Nations. The inaugural Tri Nations tournament was in 1996, and was won by New Zealand. South Africa won its first title in 1998, and Australia its first in 2000.
The new expanded TRC comprises a round robin format in which all the teams play each other home and away. The first Championship (2012) was won by New Zealand, who won all six of their matches. Australia won the 2015 TRC which was shortened due to the Rugby World Cup being played later in the year. The round robin format comprised the teams playing each other once home or away.
New Zealand, Australia and South Africa have frequently been ranked among the top rugby nations with the latter two teams winning theRubby World Cup twice and New Zealand winning it three times.
Argentina has been ranked as high as third in the official World Rankings and has twice reached the Rugby World Cup semi-finals, a higher achievement than Wales, Italy, Scotland, and Ireland among the Six Nations teams.
Winners of The Rugby Championship
Year | Winner |
1996 | New Zealand |
1997 | New Zealand |
1998 | South Africa |
1999 | New Zealand |
2000 | Australia |
2001 | Australia |
2002 | New Zealand |
2003 | New Zealand |
2004 | South Africa |
2005 | New Zealand |
2006 | New Zealand |
2007 | New Zealand |
2008 | New Zealand |
2009 | South Africa |
2010 | New Zealand |
2011 | Australia |
2012 | New Zealand |
2013 | New Zealand |
2014 | New Zealand |
2015 | Australia |