SANZAAR and tournament hosts, Rugby Australia, are pleased to confirm the match schedule for the 2020 Rugby Championship.
SANZAAR has endorsed the draw for the six-week tournament, that will feature 12 blockbuster Tests on back-to-back weekends between the Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and Argentina.
Each round will be played as a doubleheader with the opening fixture locked in for Brisbane’s Suncorp Stadium on Saturday 7 November before five straight doubleheaders across Sydney and Newcastle.
ANZ Stadium and Bankwest Stadium will each host two rounds of The Rugby Championship while Newcastle’s McDonald Jones Stadium will be set for a mouth-watering clash between reigning Rugby World Cup winners, the Springboks, and international heavyweights, the All Blacks on Saturday 28 November.
Australia’s fixtures against New Zealand during The Rugby Championship will also double as matches for the prestigious Bledisloe Cup. Brisbane’s Suncorp Stadium will host a Bledisloe Cup Test on Saturday 7 November before Sydney’s ANZ Stadium hosts the final trans- Tasman clash on Saturday 12 December.
The 2020 Rugby Championship will be the first time the Springboks have played since their memorable Rugby World Cup win in Japan last year.
November’s historic tournament will also be the first time that Tier One Rugby nations will have ever featured in a Test match doubleheader.
SANZAAR CEO Andy Marinos said: “It has taken a lot of hard work to get to this point, but we are delighted that we can now confirm the match dates and venues for The Rugby Championship 2020. The Rugby Championship is one of the game’s show piece events and includes some of the best rugby talent in the world.
“While the rescheduling and reconfiguration of the Super Rugby season has not been ideal all the member unions have been committed in getting rugby back on the field and the culmination of this will be the TRC in Australia. I would like to thank all of our Unions and their staff for their dedication and hard work since the onset of this pandemic. Our Broadcasters and Commercial partners have been fantastic in working with us and continually adapting in what has been a very dynamic environment.
“SANZAAR would like to thank Rugby Australia as host nation and Destination NSW and Tourism Australia for their commitment and involvement with venues and tournament logistics and assisting Rugby Australia in delivering this event.
“It is fantastic to be able to take matches to three cities – Brisbane, Newcastle and Sydney. The six double-header Saturdays are a first for the tournament and will produce an exciting feast of rugby for spectators at the venues who will actually be getting two world class international tests for the price of one entry ticket. Thanks to our committed family of broadcasters this action will also be delivered to the living rooms of our overseas rugby fans providing a rugby feast similar to what we experienced a year ago with the Rugby World Cup,” Marinos said
Rugby Australia Interim Chief Executive Rob Clarke said: “What a fantastic tournament ahead for fans in Australia. Six unmissable back-to-back doubleheaders featuring four of the very best Test nations in World Rugby – all in our backyard.
“This really is a once in a lifetime event and I want to thank our terrific Government partners, in Destination New South Wales, as well as Gladys Berejiklian and her New South Wales Government in making this tournament possible.
“I also want to acknowledge Tourism Australia and Tourism Events Queensland for their support, as we showcase the very best of Australia to the rest of the world over the coming months,” Clarke said.
NSW Minister for Jobs, Investment, Tourism and Western Sydney Stuart Ayres said: “Sydney has once again reaffirmed its title as the nation’s sporting capital. With world-class sporting facilities and incredible food, wine, and natural beauty, NSW has so much to offer visitors and viewers from around the globe.”
“The Rugby Championship is the jewel in the crown of Southern Hemisphere Rugby. Hosting the majority of the games in NSW, including the highly coveted Bledisloe Cup, demonstrates our Government’s commitment to growing events across the state as a crucial means to rebuilding the NSW visitor economy,’ Mr Ayres said.
“The hard work of our government agencies, including Destination NSW and the Office of Sport, continues to see our state go from strength to strength as we navigate our way through what have been some turbulent times for our tourism and event industries.
“I have no doubt that NSW sports fans will show up in droves for this incredible series and we look forward to welcoming fans from intrastate and hopefully interstate, for what is set to be an action packed summer of sport across the NSW,” Mr Ayres said.
Queensland Tourism Minister Kate Jones said the event would be well received in the Sunshine State.
“With such a strong Kiwi following here in Queensland, we worked hard to secure the Wallabies versus All Blacks fixture at Suncorp Stadium. It’s a dream come true for local rugby fans,” Ms Jones said.
“The Bledisloe Cup is an iconic event and when you pair it with a double header featuring the world champion Springboks, you’ve got a blockbuster event rugby fans will get behind.
“This will be a truly momentous occasion, with the Springboks taking the field for the first time since winning the 2019 Rugby World Cup and the Wallabies playing on home soil for the first time under new coach Dave Rennie.”
Inbound teams Argentina, New Zealand and South Africa will be required to observe all health regulations around their squads as imposed by the NSW and Queensland governments. The teams will be kept separate by operating within a ‘bubble’ during this period with all teams operating in clean environments controlled by NSW police. The wellness of the squads will be continually monitored in line with NSW Heath requirements.
Kick-off times for the double-header matches will be announced in due course. General public tickets will go on sale on Thursday 8 October at 11am local time. Tickets will be sold on a first-come, first-served basis. To get presale access, join Team.Rugby.
The Rugby Championship 2020 fixtures
Round One – Saturday 7 November 2020
Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane
Argentina v South Africa
Australia v New Zealand
Round Two – Saturday 14 November
Bankwest Stadium, Sydney
New Zealand v Argentina
South Africa v Australia
Round Three – Saturday 21 November
ANZ Stadium, Sydney
New Zealand v South Africa
Australia v Argentina
Round Four – Saturday 28 November
McDonald Jones Stadium, Newcastle
Argentina v Australia
South Africa v New Zealand
Round Five – Saturday 5 December
Bankwest Stadium, Sydney
Argentina v New Zealand
Australia v South Africa
Round Six – Saturday 12 December
ANZ Stadium, Sydney
South Africa v Argentina
Australia v New Zealand
