Rugby Championship Betting Tips
The Rugby Championship, formerly known as the Tri Nations, is a professional men’s rugby union tournament contested on an annual basis. The tournament is run by SANZAAR which consists of the boards of rugby from South Africa, New Zealand, Australia and Argentina – the four teams that compete in the tournament.
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2025 Rugby Championship Betting Odds
South Africa won the 2025 Rugby Championship on points difference ahead of New Zealand. There are no 2026 Rugby Championship odds available as the tournament, as things currently stand, will not take place in 2026.
2026 Rugby Championship Fixtures
The 2026 Rugby Championship will not take place as things currently stand. Instead, New Zealand will go on a three-match tour of South Africa. What Australia and Argentina will do has yet to be confirmed.
2025 Rugby Championship Results
Below are all the results from the first four rounds of the 2025 Rugby Championship.
Round 1
South Africa 22 - 38 Australia
Argentina 24 - 41 New Zealand
Round 2
South Africa 39 - 22 Australia
Argentina 29 - 23 New Zealand
Round 3
Australia 28 - 24 Argentina
New Zealand 24 - 17 South Africa
Round 4
Australia 26 - 28 Argentina
New Zealand 10 - 43 South Africa
Round 5
New Zealand 33 - 25 Australia
South Africa 67 - 30 Argentina
Round 6
Australia 14 - 28 New Zealand
Argentina 27 - 29 South Africa
2025 Rugby Championship Table
Below is the final standings of the 2025 Rugby Championship table. South Africa won the tournament on points difference.
There will be no 2026 Rugby Championship, so the next tournament is set for 2027.
| Team | Played | Won | Lost | Drawn | PD | BP | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| South Africa | 6 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 57 | 3 | 19 |
| New Zealand | 6 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 8 | 2 | 19 |
| Australia | 6 | 2 | 4 | 0 | -13 | 3 | 11 |
| Argentina | 6 | 2 | 4 | 0 | -52 | 2 | 10 |
When is the Rugby Championship?
The 2026 Rugby Championship will not take place as three-match tours will happen it is place. In 2027, ahead of the Rugby World Cup, there will be a truncated Rugby Championship. The next full version is only set for 2029, however, much can change before then.
Rugby Championship Teams
The Rugby Championship is contested between four teams from the Southern Hemisphere. Often referred to by their nickname rather than the country name they are South Africa (Springboks), New Zealand (All Blacks), Australia (Wallabies) and Argentina (Pumas).
Rugby Championship Free Bets
Many online bookmakers will offer Rugby Championship free bets and special offers including price boosts. Check bets.co.za for all the latest offers.
Rugby Championship History
The Rugby Championship, then known as the Tri Nations began in 1996 after the game became professional. This was shortly after South Africa’s 1995 Rugby World Cup triumph on home soil against New Zealand.
The Tri Nations was played among South Africa, New Zealand and Australia on an annual basis and each team played the other home and away. New Zealand dominated the 1996 tournament by winning all four of their matches.
In 1997 it was again the All Blacks who came out on top but 1998 saw South Africa emerge victorious. 1999 saw New Zealand regain the title but the turn of the millennium saw Australia win their first Tri Nations title.
Australia defended their title in 2001 but it was the All Blacks that went back to back in 2002 and 2003. South Africa came out of a tough time to win in 2004 on point’s difference, the closest championship to date.
The Tri Nations was expanded in 2006 with each team now playing the other on three occasions. New Zealand remained the dominant and won the title in 2005, 2006, 2007 and 2008 with the Springboks bouncing back in 2009 to spoil the All Blacks party.
It was announced in 2009 that Argentina would be part of the Tri Nations from 2012 onwards and the name would be changed from Tri Nations to the Rugby Championship.
The format from 2012 was simple – each team played the other teams home and away. The problem came with traveling as some teams are more affected than others due to the time zones – a problem that persists today.
New Zealand have been completely dominant since the format change and won in 2012, 2013, 2014 before Australia managed a title in 2015. The All Blacks were back to their dominant best winning in 2016, 2017 and 2018.
2019 saw South Africa claim their first Rugby Championship title and later in 2019 also won the Rugby World Cup. This was the first time ever that the team that won the Rugby Championship or Tri Nations in a World Cup year went on to win the World Cup.
Rugby Championship FAQ
Where is the 2026 Rugby Championship played?
The 2026 Rugby Championship will not be played. The next tournament will only take place in 2027.
When is the 2026 Rugby Championship?
The 2026 Rugby Championship would have started in August 2026 but it has been decided that the tournament will take a break until 2027.
What teams play in the 2026 Rugby Championship?
Argentina, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa compete in the Rugby Championship every year. However, there will be no Rugby Championship in 2026.
