The Tri-Nations tournament will feature two Test matches every weekend from next season onwards.
This is due to Argentina joining the competition in 2012 – with the tournament then effectively becoming the Four-Nations.
Sport24
However, Argentina’s inclusion doesn’t mean that more matches are in store on the international rugby calendar.
South Africa, New Zealand and Australia will all play one Test less against each other to accommodate for the games they will play against the Pumas.
The four countries will tackle each other on a home-and-away basis and all of them will be in action on the same day.
Although not confirmed, it appears the teams will all receive byes on two occasions in an eight-week long tournament – expected to run from August 18 to October 6, 2012.
South Africa will also play England in a three-match series earlier in the year.
The Super Rugby tournament will break on June 2 for the Boks’ three matches against England on June 9, 16 and 23 respectively.
Super Rugby will then resume on June 30, with the final set for August 4.
The Springboks will end 2012’s international season with Tests against France, Scotland and England.
Hopefully we have a new coaching team by then… not that I would put money on it.
The talk is that Allister Coetzee wil be the next coach. HM is too Afrikaans
Too much rugby.
2@ superBul:
ANYTHING, ANYTHING, ANYTHING is better than Snorrie & Tricky Dicky….
Maybe England will wear black to try to BSh1t the Boks into a state of panic.
Mind you if Div, Tricky and Gary Glitter are still in charge, a state of panic will be the normal MO!!
@ Scrumdown:
Englands new gear is black, and they will play in black in this World Cup
2012 is going to be a hard year… with the senior Bokke retiring, we will have to BUILD, BUILD, BUILD… and sort out the basics which have been neglected for the past 4 years, first and foremost.
@ Scrumdown:5
Kiwis incensed over all-black England strip
New Zealand Prime Minister John Key has described the England rugby team as ‘a bunch of wannabes’ after it announced it would play at least one game in an all-black strip at the World Cup later this year.
Although England usually plays in white, the English Rugby Football Union (RFU) confirmed Martin Johnson’s team would wear the all-black strip for its opening pool match against Argentina in Dunedin on September 10.
The decision to copy New Zealand’s iconic All Black jersey, which has a 127-year history, has already triggered a furious response from the tournament hosts.
Key led the chorus of protests, saying “there’s only one team that wears black with pride and that’s the All Blacks”.
World Cup-winning All Black Michael Jones described England’s move as “psychological warfare” while Keith Quinn, New Zealand’s longest-serving rugby commentator, said England was “thumbing their noses at a New Zealand tradition.”
“Of all the colours of the rainbow, why would they choose the colour of the host nation?” he said.
However All Blacks captain Richie McCaw said he was relatively unconcerned, even if it meant New Zealand might have to change from its all-black uniform if it plays England in the final.
“If it comes down to what colour you wear determines how you play, then we’ve got trouble,” McCaw said.
“That’s the attitude we’ve got to have. What will be, will be.
“It would be nice to be in black, but if we’re not, well, you just get on with it.”
New Zealand’s famous All Black kit is made by adidas, a long-standing rival of England’s kit manufacturer Nike in the sportswear market.
Even England’s World Cup training gear has a Kiwi twist, with a red rose crest on the shirt surrounded by ancient Maori symbols and decorations.
However, the RFU insist there is no desire to provoke the Kiwis.
“England are obliged by the Rugby World Cup participation agreement to have a change strip,” an RFU spokesperson said.
“We have worked with Nike on producing a shirt that complies with Rugby World Cup and International Rugby Board regulations and, fully aware of the significance of a black shirt to New Zealand’s players and population as a whole, we have fully consulted with the NZRU, who confirmed they had no issues.
“England will therefore wear the black change shirt against Argentina at the Otago Stadium in Dunedin on September 10 due to a clash with the light blue and white of the Pumas.
“They will wear their white home shirt in their other World Cup pool matches.
“We believe the black shirt will be very popular with supporters as previous change shirts, such as purple and anthracite in November 2009 and 2010 respectively, have been.”
It is understood the controversial kit will be used for the first time against Wales at Twickenham on August 6 and then in the return match in Cardiff the following weekend.
The kit will also be worn in Dublin for England’s last warm-up game against Ireland at the Aviva Stadium on August 27.
NZ, bunch of cry babies!!!! Reminds me of when Stormers went black in the S14. Sharks supporters were also incensed.
But looking at the fixture list, where will the CC fit in? Drop VC, let the minnows play their fixtures against one another, and use the home and away matches in the S15 as part of the CC, and at the end of the S15, let the Superrugby teams play against the minnows.
Eish!!! Definitely too much rugby
WAAAAAAAY to much Rugby.
I think that the inclusion of Arg is a good thing though. And so is the reduced amount of games between the “4 Nations”.
SUPER RUGBY IS THE BIGGEST PROBLEM IN SANZAR AT THE MOMENT!!! Entartaining as hell, and gives the National selectors much to think about. But Honestly, it should be a two tier system… too many plodders.
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