10 things you need to know about the Rugby Championship

The Springboks are back in action in the coming weeks as they participate in the biggest Southern Hemisphere rugby competition known as the Rugby Championship. The competition pits Australia, New Zealand, Argentina and South Africa against each other to determine bragging rights between old foes and new rivals each year.

1) The Springboks have won the competition three times
Since the inception of the Rugby Championship in 1996, then known as the Tri Nations, the Springboks have only lifted the trophy three times. The first was in a golden era for Springbok rugby in 1998, where the likes of Mark Andrews and Joost van der Westhuizen were at their peak. The second was in 2004 when coach Jake White achieved a memorable success after a long trophy drought. The last victory was in 2009 when the Springboks under outspoken coach Peter de Villiers enjoyed a stellar year.

2) Previously it was known as the Tri-Nations
The original format had Australia, New Zealand and South Africa battling for southern supremacy. When Argentina had begun improving their rugby structures and competitiveness they began to feature more prominently in discussions surrounding an expansion to four teams. Argentina duly was added to the Rugby Championship in 2012 after a number of strong performances against top quality international teams.

3) Australia and New Zealand also compete for the Bledisloe Cup.
Apart from the Tri-Nations, the Wallabies (Australia) and the All Blacks (New Zealand) also contest the Bledisloe Cup, a tournament that began in 1932. The All Blacks have won the last 11 trophies and has dominated Australia in recent years. The Trophy is also the largest trophy in World rugby.

4) The competition was created as an equivalent to the then Five Nations in the Northern Hemisphere
The main purpose behind the creation of the competition was SANZAR’s drive to have an equivalent to the highly successful Five Nations Championship hosted in the Northern Hemisphere. In 1996, the professional era had been ushered in and pushed by South Africa’s success in the 1995 Rugby World Cup, they were also added to the mix.

5) The Freedom Cup and Mandela Challenge Plate is also contested each year
The Springboks have the opportunity to win a treble in the Rugby Championship each year. The Freedom Cup for grabs when New Zealand and South Africa lock horns while the Nelson Mandela Challenge Plate gets awarded to the winner in a two match series between Australia and South Africa.

6) The points system
It is vital to understand the point system especially if you are watching the try fest known as the Rugby Championship. A win constitutes 4 points, a draw 2 and a loss gets 0 points. There are also bonus points up for grabs. A team gets one bonus point if they score four tries or more and when they lose by seven points are less. More often than not these bonus points determine the eventual champion when things get really close.

7) The highest points scorers
The all-time highest points scorer is legendary All-Black flyhalf Dan Carter with a massive 531 points. Springbok flyhalf Morné Steyn is the leading point scorer for South Africa with 320 points to his name.

8) The All Blacks are the big winners
The All Blacks have dominated the competition winning the majority of the titles. The All Blacks have been unbeaten in the championship for the last two years and has collected 12 of the 18 Championships that has been up for grabs.

9) Bryan Habana is the all time top try scorer in the competition
South Africa’s record try scorer is without much surprise also the leading try scorer in the competition having crossed the chalk 17 times. He is one try ahead of retired All-Black fullback Christian Cullen. The second Springbok on the list is Jean de Villiers with 9 tries.

10) The teams play each other twice – one at home and one away from home.
The Springboks have their home fixtures against Argentina at Loftus Versfeld in Pretoria on August 16, against the Wallabies at Newlands in Cape Town on 27 September and against New Zealand at Ellis Park in Johannesburg on October 4 which promises to be a humdinger.
If South Africa have good results in their away games then they have an excellent chance of taking the trophy for the fourth time in 19 years.