Rugby Football History 8th November 2011 Photo by Getty (click to purchase) Argentina was confirmed alongside South Africa, New Zealand and Australia to play from 2012 in “The Rugby Championship” – the exciting and ground-breaking replacement for the Tri-Nations series. After several months of negotiations with the Unión Argentina de Rugby (UAR) and the International Rugby Board (IRB), the SANZAR Joint Venture partners have invited Argentina to join the tournament. An agreement confirming Argentina’s participation was signed in Auckland. “The invitation to Argentina to join the Championship is a defining moment for Southern Hemisphere rugby and significant for world rugby,” “The regular participation of Argentina at a higher level is long overdue and we are excited about their inclusion in The Rugby Championship.

Playing in the Championship will have significant benefits for Argentinian rugby as a whole and will bring new energy to the jewel in the crown of SANZAR." “The Pumas, as they showed at the recent Rugby World Cup, play an exciting and different brand of rugby to the other three teams, which will definitely add a new dimension,” “The Rugby Championship is an annual contest between the ‘best-of-the-best’ in world rugby - nations who have won six of the seven Rugby World Cups” - SANZAR CEO, Greg Peters. The new name of The Rugby Championship reflects its claim to be the ultimate contest, featuring teams that are currently ranked first, second, fourth and seventh in the world. The President of the UAR, Luis Castillo, has described his country’s inclusion as an historic moment for rugby in Argentina. “The Argentine Rugby Union and Argentinean rugby community is proud to be part of this great tournament,” he said. “We will work to maintain high standards in our rugby, with our ultimate goal being to keep generating resources for the development of rugby at the clubs” - President of the UAR, Luis Castillo “For years Argentinean Rugby has been seeking to participate regularly in a tournament like this.

Playing in The Rugby Championship makes us really proud and will compel us to work harder at what we are doing. We must celebrate being part of this tournament” - UAR High Performance Chairman, Manuel Galindo Argentina’s participation in The Rugby Championship has been welcomed by the SANZAR Joint Venture partners.

"Argentina is a proud rugby nation and their passionate charge to the semi-finals of the Rugby World Cup in 2007 was certainly a feature of that tournament in France." "They have waited a long time to play in a regular competition at the highest level and their inclusion into The Rugby Championship from 2012 provides that opportunity." "The expansion of the Championship, following this year's new-look format for Super Rugby with the addition of a 15th team in the Melbourne Rebels, is also further proof that SANZAR continues to be the innovative leader of the international game." "We have come a long way since the professional era dawned with a Super 12 competition and a two-round Tri-Nations series between the Wallabies, All Blacks and Springboks." "Our international footprint has been significantly increased at both Super Rugby and Test level and the launching of The Rugby Championship next year will be the latest exciting chapter in the ongoing evolution of SANZAR." - Australian Rugby Union (ARU) Managing Director and CEO, John O’Neill “This is a significant moment in the history of Southern Hemisphere rugby and marks the launching pad to a dramatically changed landscape." “The inclusion of South Africa’s old friends from Argentina is a great

 day for rugby and recognises the rich history and passion for the sport in the rugby community in that country." “It will add a new flavour and dimension to SANZAR rugby and offers the prospect of promoting rugby in other South American nations." “It also ensures a more logical and balanced Championship with fixtures and travel evened out across the region.” - South African Rugby Union (SARU) CEO, Jurie Roux “The 2011 Rugby World Cup demonstrated exactly how exciting matches between our four countries can be." “Argentina fully deserves to be part of the best annual rugby competition in the world and their presence in the Championship – as well as the inclusion of Sevens rugby in the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro – help the global expansion of the game." “Outside of the Rugby World Cup, the Pumas last played in New Zealand in June 2004.

As we saw during the tournament, their colourful and lively fans will be sure to add something special to The Rugby Championship." “This Championship will ensure fans get to see more of the outstanding, hard hitting and exciting rugby for which our SANZAR nations are known as well as the flair and unpredictable style of rugby that Argentina is sure to bring” - CEO of the New Zealand Rugby Union (NZRU), Steve Tew “Argentinean rugby as a whole should be proud of this achievement.” “After many years of history and the hard work of many generations of players on and off the pitch, Argentinean rugby will be part of the toughest and most prestigious tournament in the Southern Hemisphere,” - Former Pumas scrumhalf, Agustin Pichot, the UAR’s SANZAR Representative who has led its negotiations with SANZAR 31st May, 2012 Fixtures finalized (see below).

ANZAR CEO Greg Peters said it was exciting to enter a bold new chapter into rugby history, "with the long anticipated introduction of the Pumas into the world"'s best international competition, The Rugby Championship." "The original Tri-Nations combatants have won six of the seven Rugby World Cups, while Argentina is a side that has proved its capabilities during Rugby World Cups," Peters added. "Since the Tri-Nations began in 1996, Argentina has beaten England, France, Ireland, Scotland and Australia; and it is exciting to see one of the biggest developments for international rugby in South America. "The passion and excitement of the Pumas"' style of play and that their fans exhibit will bring a totally new dimension to our pre-eminent international tournament." The Rugby Championship"'s debut season kicks off on 18 August with the Wallabies hosting the All Blacks at ANZ Stadium in Sydney, while later that evening the Pumas will visit DHL Newlands for the first time, playing the Springboks to make their tournament entry.

Auckland, Mendoza, Perth, Wellington, the Gold Coast, Dunedin, Pretoria and La Plata round out the locations for the six-round, eight-week competition, with the final match to be played at the near 95,000-seat FNB Stadium in Soweto, where the Springboks will look to avenge their thrilling 29-22 loss to the All Blacks in 2010. Notably there are two bye weeks to allow for travel in what will be arguably the toughest international tournament in world rugby, outside of the Rugby World Cup. "The Pumas"' introduction and location ensures that there will be tough travelling schedules for all involved," Peters said. "To balance this, the fixtures have been scheduled in three two-week blocks with week-long travel byes in between." Rugby World Cup-winning former All Black coach Graham Henry has insisted that he can take Argentina to another level as they prepare for the Rugby Championship. Henry has been appointed technical consultant to the Pumas, who will compete for the first time in the Rugby Championships - formerly the Tri-Nations - against New Zealand, Australia and South Africa.

"Argentina are faced with a very important challenge but we need this in order to improve because we can't improve by playing the weakest, we need to play the strongest," "My job with the coaches is to exchange ideas, and help them improve their game," explained Henry, who led the All Blacks for seven years but stepped down after leading them to glory at last year's World Cup on home soil. "I'm going to work five weeks here, another two in New Zealand and Australia. I would like to help more but I have my family and they are at present by main responsibility." - Graham Henry, former New Zealand and Wales coach. Henry's role will be to work closely for seven weeks with head coach Santiago Phelan during preparations for international matches. The 65-year-old, who was previously known as 'The Great Redeemer' for his work during four years with Wales, explained that his love of the game had been too much for him just to retire. "Rugby is in my blood. Coaching is like a disease. I like coaching and I like the game. Argentina is a challenge and I enjoy a challenge. I also respect the people here.

They are good people, good rugby people, so this is also a privilege for me." "I think that Argentinian rugby is in good shape, as they did well in the last two World Cups." "We've begun a process, and I'm impressed with all the information that I've received from the coaches. I hope that my ideas will be useful and allow them to continue to improve." "This tournament is a big opportunity. We could feel inhibited but we could also give our best." Praising the Puma "character, personality and fighting spirit", he added: "they defend very well, they only need to score more tries, that's all." - Graham Henry, former New Zealand and Wales coach. Phelan added: "It's with pride that Graham helps us. The Pumas staff are very keen to show him how we work so that he can give us his vision and apply his concepts." The Pumas will play their inaugural Four Nations match against South Africa, on August 25, at the Estadio Malvinas Argentinas in the western city of Mendoza.

The First Rugby Championship Fixtures SANZAR confirmed the draw for the inaugural edition of The Rugby Championship in 2012, which saw each side facing the others twice – home and away – for a total of 12 matches. The 2012 Championship kicked-off on 18 August 2012 and concluded on 6 October 2012. To balance the additional travel requirements, the fixtures were scheduled in two-week blocks with week-long travel byes in-between. This ensured there was adequate recovery time for the teams. A SANZAR delegation travelled to Argentina in November on a fact-finding visit to conduct venue inspections and hold discussions with the UAR, host broadcasters and other key stakeholders to ensure the smooth transition from Tri-Nations to The Rugby Championship. Past Standings The winner is determined by a points system: 4 points for a win 2 points for a draw 0 points for a loss Bonus points may also be earned and count toward deciding the series winner. A maximum of two bonus points can be obtained: The Attacking bonus point by scoring four or more tries in the match, regardless of the final result. The Defending bonus point by losing by seven points or less.

2016 About The Rugby Championship - Official SANZAR Site Contact About The 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 , Australia , 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 the Rugby 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 Italy, Scotland, and Ireland among the Six Nations teams. Competition Rules Points will be awarded in all TRC matches on the following basis: Win 4 points Loss 0 points for loss of more than 7 points Bonus 1 point for 3 tries or more than opponent Bonus 1 point for loss within 7 points or less. Position on the competition table shall be determined by competition points as set out above: In the event of two or more teams being equal on competition points for any position on the competition table such position shall be determined by the team with the most wins in the series. In the event of (a) above not providing a decision, the position on the competition table will be determined by the team with the most wins against the other team/s tied on the same points.

In the event of (b) above not providing a decision, the position on the competition table will be determined on the margin of points scored for and against in the series. The team with the highest margin of points scored for and against being considered as the winner. In the event of (c) above not providing a decision, the position on the competition table will be determined on the margin of points scored for and against by those competing teams. The team with the highest margin of points scored for and against being considered as the winner. In the event of (d) above not providing a decision, the position on the competition table will be determined on the basis of the team scoring most tries in the series. In the event of (e) above not providing a decision, the Series shall be shared between the two teams.

Winners of The Rugby Championship Year Rugby Championship: Australia 12-12 New Zealand - BBC Sport Rugby Championship: Australia 12-12 New Zealand 16 Aug 2014 From the section Rugby Union Share this page Australia, led by Michael Hooper, overhauled a six-point half-time deficit to deny New Zealand a record 18th straight win Australia (3) 12 New Zealand (9) 12 Penalties: Cruden (4) Australia denied New Zealand a record 18th straight Test win as they fought back to earn a 12-12 draw in the opening game of the Rugby Championship. Kurtley Beale and Aaron Cruden scored four penalties apiece as wet conditions produced a try-less contest in Sydney. New Zealand started strongly but only led 9-3 at the break after Australia took advantage of some ill-discipline. The Wallabies dominated the second period but squandered some chances to win the home match late on. Australia had been on the receiving end of three heavy defeats in their last three meetings with New Zealand, but slippery conditions made a repeat of those high-scoring matches unlikely.

Australia v New Zealand Saturday's Test was the 150th time that Australia and New Zealand faced each other Australia have 41 wins compared to New Zealand's 102. This was the seventh draw New Zealand were on a winning streak of 17 matches that started with a victory over France in June 2013 The first Test match between the two teams was in Sydney, Australia, in 1903 New Zealand won 22-3 that day. Australia had to wait until their seventh encounter for their first victory, winning 11-0 in 1910 Cruden and Beale traded penalties in the early exchanges, before the New Zealand fly-half twice punished moments of ill-discipline from the Wallabies. But a yellow card for New Zealand prop Wyatt Crockett allowed Beale, a controversial selection ahead of Bernard Foley at fly-half, to draw Australia level after half-time. The kickers landed another penalty apiece before New Zealand lost replacement Beauden Barrett to another yellow card, but, despite exerting huge pressure, Australia were unable to find another score.

The draw means Steve Hansen's side failed to surpass the record of 17 consecutive wins set by the All Blacks of 1965-69 and the South Africa team of 1997-98. It is also the first match that New Zealand have failed to win in the Rugby Championship since the tournament was rebranded from the Tri-Nations in 2012. Australia and New Zealand meet again in Auckland next week. Results from matches between the sides count towards the Bledisloe Cup, a trophy which New Zealand have held since 2002. Australia captain Michael Hooper: "We're improving every time. The draw feels like a loss with the fact we got so close and had a chance to win at the end. We had good moments in tough conditions but first phase we let ourselves down a bit." New Zealand captain Richie McCaw: "It's a bit of a funny feeling. Conditions played a big part, and 12-12 is probably a fair reflection. We went pretty well in the first 30 minutes but we struggled to maintain that.

The wallabies fought back well and we struggled in the second half to get any momentum at the right end of the field." South Africa 13-6 Argentina Fly-half Handre Pollard kicked a penalty and a conversion for South Africa against Argentina. South Africa's Ruan Pienaar ran in the only try of the game as the Springboks laboured to a 13-6 win over Argentina on a water-soaked pitch at Loftus Versfeld. Scrum-half Pienaar scored in the second-minute, before a downpour in Pretoria resulted in a game full of handling errors. The home team stayed in front throughout the match as fly-half Handre Pollard landed a conversion and a penalty and his replacement Morne Steyn added a second-half penalty. Puma's fly-half Nicolas Sanchez slotted over two penalties for the visitors. Share this page Watch Australia Rugby Live Stream Online 2016 SEARCH: Watch Australia Rugby Live Stream Online 2016 with Kick off Time , Fixtures - Results and TV Info. If you’re planing to purchase a subscription to watch your favorite Australia Rugby Live Games. Nationally and locally Australian Home and International all rugby matches are telecasted whole over the world.

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2016 Super Rugby New Season brings more attractions, more audience, more excitement with more fans, the reason of each year super rugby started with New Trophy. Australia Rugby Team Squad 2016 : Player Rugby Football History All Blacks Barbarians Canada British & Irish Lions Ireland Scotland Springboks USA Wales Wallabies Foreword The Tri-Nations championship is held annually between the three main rugby nations in the southern hemisphere, namely Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. The TriNations is administered by SANZAR - a co-operative venture between the South African, New Zealand and Australian Rugby unions. The Tri-Nations came into being hand-in-hand with professionalism in 1996. The new competition derived from the multi-million pound negotiations that the South African, New Zealand and Australian Rugby Unions (SANZAR) made with Rupert Murdoch’s NewsCorp television company during the four-weeks duration of the 1995 World Cup. A ten-year deal worth £360 million to the SANZAR nations was announced on the eve of the 1995 final and the competition, which features the three nations in a round-robin of home and away fixtures. The first ever Tri-Nations tournament and was won by New Zealand.

The first match of the tournament saw New Zealand run out 43 - 6 winners over Australia. They were undefeated in the 1996 Tri-Nations. New Zealand also won the Cup in 1997, with South Africa claiming the title in 1998. The All Blacks lifted the Cup again in 1999. A year later in 2000 Australia raised the Cup for the first time thanks to a Stirling Mortlock penalty goal on the bell against South Africa in Durban. Australia retained the Tri Nations Trophy in 2001 when Toutai Kefu scored the match-winning try in the dying seconds against the All Blacks at Stadium Australia. In 2002 the All Blacks won the Tri Nations Cup winning three out of their four matches and they again dominated the series in 2003 with a convincing four out of four victories. In 2004, after a very close series where all three teams were undefeated on home soil, South Africa emerged victorious securing more bonus points than the other two teams.

In 2005 New Zealand won the tournament again and then again in 2006 even more convincingly without having to leave for the South African leg of the tournament. They lost their last match but it meant little as they had already been crowned champions. In 2007 the tournament reverted back to each team playing each other twice but New Zealand again were the winners although they did stutter in Australia. In 2008 South Africa were out to prove that they were worthy World Champions but the Wallabies beat South Africa twice and then the All Blacks beat them. The All Blacks claimed the title again. In 2009 South Africa made up for the disappointment of 2008 by winning all but one of their games to claim the title. Expansion 2007 In November 2007 the IRB held a conference on the future worldwide growth of the sport, with the status of Los Pumas a key topic of discussion.

The most important decision made at the conference, with regard to the Tri Nations, was the agreement of the UAR to establish a professional rugby structure between 2008 and 2012, at which time Argentina would be "fully integrated into the Southern top-flight Rugby playing structure." At the time of the IRB conference, the UAR had already scheduled a special meeting for 28 December 2007 to amend its constitution to allow players to be paid. Shortly after the IRB conference, New Zealand Rugby Union deputy chief executive Steve Tew expressed doubts that, within ten years, a professional domestic competition in Argentina would be sufficiently viable to retain elite players in South America despite all the good intentions and funding of the IRB. The aforementioned UAR meeting did not result in the formation of a professional league. The 23 provincial delegates voted unanimously to keep their domestic league amateur, but approved a plan to centrally contract the Pumas selection pool to the UAR as professionals.

[1] Argentina's invitation is the culmination of an IRB-led process that kicked off in November 2007 with the historic Woking Accord where the Game's major stakeholders agreed that a transition programme for Argentina's full integration into the senior international playing calendar was a key priority. It is proposed that Argentina, bronze medallists at Rugby World Cup 2007, will join Australia, New Zealand and South Africa to create a new Four Nations tournament. The proposed format will see the four teams playing on a home and away basis meaning six matches per team and a total of 12 matches overall. The Four Nations would be played from mid-August (following the end of the new Super Rugby competition) for an eight or nine week period through until early to mid-October. In a Rugby World Cup year an abbreviated format would be played through July and August. "This is an exciting step for SANZAR and for world rugby, as it confirms Argentina's participation in a top-flight rugby competition, which they thoroughly deserve, and will add a dynamic new element to the current Tri Nations, which is already regarded as one of the world's toughest tournaments," said SANZAR and New Zealand Rugby Union CEO Steve Tew.

"We now need to finalise a participation agreement with the UAR so we can move to full planning for the introduction of Argentina in 2012," he said. 2009 In February 2009 [1], the UAR announced that under a plan supervised and financed by the IRB, it had contracted 31 local players, who will each receive 2,300 Argentine pesos (USD 655/GBP 452) per month. The eventual goal is for these players to form the core of a future Pumas selection pool. In September 2009, Argentina were "conditionally" invited to join the Tri-Nations by SANZAR, the organising body representing South Africa, New Zealand and Australia that runs the tournament. The Pumas to join the SANZAR competition from 2012 subject to several conditions. SANZAR stressed that conditions are attached to the invitation for the Unión Argentina de Rugby (UAR) to join the Four Nations in 2012. They are focused around: Argentina securing the participation of their best players to play in the Four Nations.

To assist with this the National Unions of Australia, New Zealand and South Africa are very keen to actively work with Argentina to place their best players across Super Rugby teams in the three countries; SANZAR and Argentina confirming the financial model that will apply. These conditions have since been resolved. SANZAR also confirmed that the three SANZAR Unions and their Super Rugby teams will work with the UAR to look at providing greater opportunities for Argentinean players to play in Super Rugby teams as part of the lead-up to the new Four Nations. 2010 March 16th - International Rugby Board (IRB) president Bernard Lapasset is backing Argentina's integration into the Tri-Nations tournament by 2012. The IRB confirmed that it would match SANZAR and provide a significant investment of US$2.5m per annum from 2012 to 2015. "A number of problems arise with the integration of Argentina into this competition," Lapasset said in an interview with AFP on16th March 2010. "I consider it the duty of the IRB to see how we can contribute to the growth of this competition and support the financial efforts of Argentina and SANZAR.

March 29th [4] The IRB announced that it will provide a crucial US$10 million funding package to support the programme. The package, ratified by the IRB Executive Committee, will see the Game's governing body substantially underwrite the Pumas entry into the southern hemisphere's showcase international Rugby competition with an unprecedented investment of US$2.5 million per year over the period 2012-2015 subject to SANZAR conditions being met. The IRB's contribution is in addition to the multi-million dollar investment being made by SANZAR to facilitate the inclusion of Argentina in the Tri Nations. The IRB will work with SANZAR and the Unión Argentina de Rugby (UAR) to develop a framework that will drive the delivery of appropriate measures to ensure that other key elements of Argentina's conditional invitation are met. May 12th - [3] Argentina has moved a step closer to competing in an expanded Four Nations competition after the IRB Council today approved measures to assist with the release of the Pumas' top players for the southern hemisphere's showcase competition.

The decision to adjust IRB Regulation 9 which governs the release of players for international duty assists in facilitating the admission of the best Argentinean players into the competition from 2012 and concludes a collaborative process that began with the Woking Forum in November 2007 and has seen the global Rugby community unite behind the cause. "Today's announcement represents an historic milestone in the process of Argentina's integration into an expanded Tri Nations tournament and is an extremely exciting development for the Unión Argentina de Rugby and Rugby around the world," said IRB Chairman Bernard Lapasset. "At the Woking Forum in 2007 the global Rugby community made a commitment to prioritise finding an appropriate solution for Argentina's integration into an annual tournament structure." "This Regulatory amendment, coupled with the significant financial assistance of the IRB and SANZAR, represents the global Rugby community's support of this important programme and I would like to thank all parties and in particular SANZAR for their dedication to making Argentina's Four Nations dream a reality. We will continue to work in close collaboration with all stakeholders to make Argentina's transition as smooth as possible," added Lapasset.

There is no change to the existing Global, Hemisphere and Designated Events Release Periods and the overall limit on the numbers of Test matches covered under Regulation 9 remains the same. A new Four Nations Release Period to reflect the timeframe when the competition will be held (late August to early October) has been approved. In order to accommodate players who will cross hemispheres to participate in the Four Nations and Six Nations competitions, the IRB Council approved a new Cross Hemisphere Player Release provision. This will enable players from the participating Unions concerned to benefit from release in the fallow weeks of the respective competitions, recognising player welfare and practical considerations. In September 2009 SANZAR issued a conditional invitation to the Pumas in an expanded Four Nations competition from 2012. Another key condition was met when the IRB announced in March 2010 that it would provide an initial US$10 million funding package to support the transition programme to substantially underwrite the Pumas' entry into an expanded competition up to 2015. The contribution is in addition to the substantial multi-million dollar investment being made by SANZAR to facilitate the inclusion of Argentina in the Four Nations.

The IRB currently annually invests close to US$2 million in development and high performance programmes in Argentina. This significant investment helps fund the highly successful new national High Performance Academy, the Argentina Jaguars representative team and the national Under 20s and Sevens programmes, all of which underpin the future competiveness of the Pumas in the Four Nations and Rugby World Cup. The changes to Regulation 9 will be communicated to all relevant stakeholders and will come into effect from June 1, 2012. SANZAR will now work with the UAR to finalise a participation agreement in order to move to full planning for the Pumas' introduction.

About IRB Regulation 9 Northern Hemisphere release period (no change) - 5 matches - 5 weekends during a 7 week period Southern Hemisphere release period (no change) - 6 matches - 6 weekends during a 9 week period June Global Release Period (no change) - 3 matches November Global Release Period (no change) - 3 matches Designated Release Period (no change) - RWC New Four Nations Release Period - late August to early October - 6 matches - 6 weekends during an 8 week period New Cross Hemisphere Player Release - Opposite hemisphere players will be released for fallow weeks - Applies to Northern Hemisphere Release Period (7 weeks) - Applies to Four Nations Release Period (8 weeks) May 12th, 2010 - SANZAR welcomed the decision of the IRB Council to change the player availability regulation, marking a major step towards Argentina's national team, Los Pumas, participating in a new SANZAR Four Nations competition from 2012.

The decision by the IRB Council to alter IRB Regulation 9 which governs the release of players for international duty, greatly assists in meeting the condition set by SANZAR that Argentina was required to secure the availability of its best players to participate in the Four Nations tournament. The change will ensure that the release period for the new Four Nations (currently Tri Nations) aligns with the new dates for the competition from late August through until early October. List of Winners, Second, Third Year

Question: The Tri Nations Championship played between South Africa, New Zealand and Australia, is in what sport?
Answer: Rugby union