Pumas passion light up tourney
Argentina, who will formally join the SANZAR club in August, will bring a new passion to the Southern Hemisphere's showcase event – now named the Rugby Championship.
Formerly the Tri-Nations – contested between South Africa, New Zealand and Australia (SANZAR) – the Pumas will be an intriguing addition to the competition.
The World Cup champion All Blacks will feature alongside the Wallabies and Springboks, who round out the top-three in the International Rugby Board rankings, along with Argentina – currently ranked seventh.
Argentina finished third in the 2007 World Cup after beating host nation France twice in Paris, and reached the quarterfinals of the 2011 World Cup, beating Scotland and narrowly losing to England, before being eliminated by the eventual champions, New Zealand.
Sixteen rich years of competition in the Tri-Nations will now evolve into a never-before seen tournament which will not only give the Pumas a much welcomed entry into a major tournament, but also see Australia, New Zealand and South Africa travel to Argentina to play.
SANZAR 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 original Tri-Nations combatants have won six of the seven World Cups, while Argentina is a side that has proved its capabilities during 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 in Sydney, while the Pumas will visit 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 Soccer City in Soweto, where the Springboks will look to avenge their thrilling 22-29 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 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."
Confirmed fixtures and kick-off times:
Saturday, August 18:
Australia v New Zealand, ANZ Stadium, Sydney – 20.05 (10.05 GMT)
South Africa v Argentina, Newlands Stadium, Cape Town – 17.00 (15.00 GMT)
Saturday, August 25:
New Zealand v Australia, Eden Park, Auckland – 19.35 (07.35 GMT)
Argentina v South Africa, Estadio Malvinas Argentinas, Mendoza – 16.10 (19.10 GMT)
Saturday, September 8:
Australia v South Africa, Patersons Stadium, Perth – 18.35 (10.35 GMT)
New Zealand v Argentina, Westpac Stadium, Wellington – 19.35 (07.35 GMT)
Saturday, September 15:
New Zealand v South Africa, Forsyth Barr Stadium, Dunedin – 19.35 (07.35 GMT)
Australia v Argentina, Skilled Park, Gold Coast – 20.05 (10.05 GMT)
Saturday, September 29:
South Africa v Australia, Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria – 17.00 (15.00 GMT)
Argentina v New Zealand, Estadio Ciudad de La Plata, La Plata – 20.10 (23.10 GMT)
Saturday, October 6:
South Africa v New Zealand, Soccer City, Soweto – 17.00 (15.00 GMT)
Argentina v Australia, Estadio Gigante de arroyito, Rosario – 20.10 (23.10 GMT)
