2026 Australia rugby union tour of Argentina
| 2026 Australia rugby union tour of Argentina | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Date | 29 August – 5 September 2026 | ||||
| Opponent |
| ||||
| Argentina | |||||
| Tour chronology | |||||
In August and September 2026, the Australia national rugby union team are scheduled to tour Argentina for a two-test series.[1][2][3] The tour formed part of a broader restructuring of The Rugby Championship,[4] the Southern Hemisphere men's rugby union competition organised by SANZAAR, which features the national teams of Argentina, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. Under its new format, the competition, which was played annually from its 1996 edition, was dropped for 2026 and 2030[5] to make way for the 2026 and 2030 New Zealand/South Africa tours.[6]
It is the first Australian tour of Argentina since 1997, and the first sole Australian tour of Argentina since 1987. The two teams will be contesting the Puma Trophy, for which the hosts, Argentina, are the holders, having held the trophy since 2023.
The initial fixtures were reported by La Nación in October 2025[7] before being confirmed by Rugby Australia (RA) in November.[1] Both teams are also set to play South Africa in a one-off match following the test series.[1][2][8]
Background
Since the advent of professionalism in rugby union in the mid-1990s, the traditional touring practice among the Southern Hemisphere teams (Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa) was largely abandoned. Once a regular feature of the international calendar, reciprocal tours between these nations were replaced by the annual competition known as the Tri Nations Series. Under this format, each team faced the others twice per season, once at home and once away, with the side accumulating the most points crowned champions. In 2012, Argentina was admitted to the competition, and was formally rebranded as The Rugby Championship. Prior to Argentina's inclusion, the three founding teams had toured the country on multiple occasions (Australia and South Africa three times each, and New Zealand twice). However, following Argentina's integration into the expanded competition, the annual round-robin format became the primary means for Southern Hemisphere international fixtures.
In 2025, South African Rugby Union (SARU) confirmed reports[9][10] that the New Zealand national team would undertake a four-test tour of South Africa, with additional tour matches scheduled for 2026.[11] This coincided with changes to the structure of The Rugby Championship, which was changed from its usual annual format.[5] This newly revised schedule allowed for the inclusion of a planned Australian tour of Argentina in 2026; the first time since 1997 (29 years).
Fixtures
| Date | Venue | Home | Score | Away |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 29 August | Estadio 23 de Agosto, Jujuy | Argentina | Australia | |
| 5 September | Estadio Malvinas Argentinas, Mendoza | Argentina | Australia |
Test series
First test
| 29 August 2026 16:00 ART (UTC−03) |
| Argentina | v | Australia |
| Estadio 23 de Agosto, San Salvador de Jujuy[12] |
Second test
See also
- History of rugby union matches between Argentina and Australia
- 2026 New Zealand tour of South Africa
- 2026 men's rugby union internationals
References
- ^ a b c Williamson, Nathan (26 November 2025). "Wallabies confirm Test schedule for 2026 season". Rugby.com.au. Rugby Australia. Archived from the original on 26 December 2025. Retrieved 27 December 2025.
- ^ a b "Wallabies Test schedule locked in for 2026". wallabies.rugby. Rugby Australia. Archived from the original on 26 December 2025. Retrieved 27 December 2025.
- ^ "Argentina to host test series against Australia in 2026". Americas Rugby News. 26 November 2025.
- ^ "Rugby Championship scrapped for 2026 due to Test calendar squeeze". ABC News. 16 October 2025. Archived from the original on 26 December 2025.
- ^ a b "SANZAAR Confirms New and Exciting International Rugby Calendar 2026–2030". super.rugby. SANZAAR. 16 October 2025.
- ^ "Rugby's Greatest Rivalry Announced – All Blacks and Springboks reignite traditional tours". allblacks.com. New Zealand Rugby. 17 October 2025. Archived from the original on 5 November 2025.
- ^ Miranda, Alejo (16 October 2025). "Una buena noticia para los Pumas: habrá Rugby Championship entre 2027 y 2029" [Good news for the Pumas: there will be a Rugby Championship between 2027 and 2029]. La Nación (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 26 December 2025.
- ^ "¿Cómo será el calendario de Los Pumas en 2026 y cuántas veces jugarán en Argentina?" [What will the Pumas' schedule look like in 2026 and how many times will they play in Argentina?]. La Gaceta (in Spanish). 26 November 2025. Archived from the original on 26 December 2025.
- ^ Ray, Craig (3 September 2024). "It's a go — Springboks and All Blacks to resume full tours in 2026". Daily Maverick.
- ^ "Traditional All Blacks tour of South Africa greenlit: report". ESPN. 4 September 2024. Archived from the original on 4 September 2024.
- ^ "Springboks and All Blacks reignite traditional tours". sarugby.co.za. South African Rugby Union. 16 October 2025. Archived from the original on 28 October 2025.
- ^ a b "Los Pumas ya tienen agenda para 2026 en Argentina: sedes confirmadas y calendario definido" [The Pumas already have their schedule for 2026 in Argentina: venues confirmed and calendar set]. La Gaceta (in Spanish). 27 January 2026. Retrieved 28 January 2026.