SANZAAR have confirmed that there will be international rugby tours happening over the next five years, meaning the Rugby Championship will not take place next year.
The governing body announced its schedule until 2030, and opened the way for the planned New Zealand tour of South Africa next year, which is set to be announced later this week.
But what it didn’t address will be the most concerning to local players and coaches, and that is the lack of a global season, something that has played havoc with South Africa’s Vodacom United Rugby Championship teams.
At the moment, local players play in the URC and the Investec Champions and EPCR Challenge Cup between September and June, then go straight into July tests and then the Rugby Championship.
This means some of South Africa’s top players have played non stop since the start of URC in 2021. While rest periods have been agreed, the need is there for a proper off-season as the northern hemisphere has.
Unfortunately while Australia had signalled that it would be open to moving the Rugby Championship to a February/March time frame to give a global season a real chance, it seems New Zealand, as the last hold outs, thwarted this.
GLOBAL SEASON ONLY NOW LIKELY IN 2031
SANZAAR’s announcement means that this is not likely to happen until 2031, which will come as a disappointment and mean more negotiating and juggling with local teams over their international players.
Currently it means that URC sides don’t see their players for more than a couple of weeks between September and December, then lose them again in March for enforced layoffs.
But back to SANZAAR, and the new programme means that there will be a full Rugby Championship before the 2027 Rugby World Cup.
“SANZAAR has today confirmed an exciting new era of southern hemisphere rugby through the release of its international rugby calendar for the next five years. The action-packed calendar reflects the evolving requirements of its Member Unions (Argentina, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa) as well as broadcasters and fans,” a SANZAAR release said.
“This latest iteration of international matches follows three decades of the SANZAAR joint venture delivering some of the best rugby action in the world and a partnership that has seen the southern hemisphere teams constantly at the top of the world rankings and winning nine out of ten Rugby World Cup titles.
RUGBY CHAMPIONSHIP IN 2027, 2028 AND 2029
“It will see The Rugby Championship (TRC), the Southern Hemisphere’s pre-eminent tournament, played in 2027, 2028 and 2029. Importantly it will also deliver for the first time a full Rugby Championship (TRC) tournament in a Rugby World Cup year (2027) allowing the SANZAAR nations an excellent preparation and run-in to the tournament.”
NEWS: SANZAAR has confirmed a new era of southern hemisphere rugby through the release of its rugby calendar for the next five years. It will see The Rugby Championship, the Southern Hemisphere’s pre-eminent tournament, played in 2027, 2028 and 2029.
— TheRugbyChampionship (@SanzarTRC) October 16, 2025
Details:… pic.twitter.com/W21RCRppq4
SANZAAR also confirmed that there will be tours in 2026 and 2030 - meaning the New Zealand tour becomes a permanent fixture on the calendar.
“A new addition to the SANZAAR calendar sees various international multi-week tours to be played in the August-September window in non-Rugby Championship years (2026 and 2030).
“The calendar also includes the proposed Nations Championship to be played in 2026, 2028 and 2030. The concept will see the twelve biggest rugby nations in the world, packed with the best players in the sport, meeting across two rounds of fixtures in July and November every two years to decide the dominant nation and the balance of power between rugby’s hemispheres.
“Adding to the world-class international rugby action in the Southern Hemisphere within this five-year cycle will be the 2027 Men’s Rugby World Cup and the 2029 Women’s Rugby World Cup in Australia, and the 2029 British & Irish Lions tour to New Zealand.”
SANZAAR CEO Brendan Morris commented, “Looking ahead, our joint-venture is committed to driving the next chapter of southern hemisphere rugby.
"By collaborating closely with our Unions and valued broadcasting and commercial partners, we've developed an innovative calendar designed to deliver thrilling rugby experiences and set new benchmarks for the game in the years to come.”
DYNAMIC SCHEDULE
“This new calendar for Southern Hemisphere rugby is all about bringing to the fans the highest level of world class rugby and action. Indeed, after listening to what supporters, broadcasters and our stakeholders want, we’ve worked with the Unions to craft a bold and dynamic schedule designed to deliver unforgettable moments every year.”
“Whether you’re cheering at the ground or watching at home, get ready for an era of electrifying matches, fierce rivalries, and world-class rugby experiences that put our passionate supporters front and centre. It’s a new dawn for southern hemisphere rugby, and we can’t wait for our fans to be part of this exciting journey.”
“The future of southern hemisphere rugby is brighter than ever. Our member unions have a proud record on the international stage and SANZAAR believes this new calendar will assist in strengthening this record, while delivering to the fans unparalleled excitement and access to the world’s best rugby.”
Further information and detailed schedules will be shared by SANZAAR and the National Unions in the coming days and weeks as plans are finalised.
