The Rugby Championship and SANZAAR’s touring years

Read the year before choosing a competition table

The four unions remain central to SANZAAR’s international calendar. The calendar gives them more than one type of fixture. In the published 2026 plan, international tours occupy the period when a reader might otherwise expect a Rugby Championship table. For a 2026 Test, use the series name shown on the official fixture.

For the announced return in 2027, use the Rugby Championship edition when looking for its standings and fixtures. SANZAAR schedules that tournament before the Men’s Rugby World Cup in the same calendar year. A team’s preparation matches and its World Cup fixtures belong to different event records.

Recognise the South Africa and New Zealand tour

SA Rugby describes the 2026 Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry tour as a series between South Africa and New Zealand. Its programme contains four Tests as well as fixtures against South African franchises. Start by reading the opponent and the match type. A Test between the two national teams and a touring match against a franchise have separate identities within the tour.

For example, a fixture titled Springboks versus All Blacks identifies the national teams. The competition label tells you whether it belongs to this tour or another Test competition. If the opponent is a named franchise, read the tour match entry for its venue, result and status.

Save the event name with the teams

Use the year, event name, opponent and match type in a fixture note. That is enough to find the relevant schedule and result later. The SANZAAR plan establishes which years contain the tournament, while the union’s individual fixture information supplies the actual details for a particular match. Recheck the published event programme when planning around an upcoming edition.