South Africa is back and the Rugby Championship is once again a four country tournament including Australia, Argentina and New Zealand.
Tournament organiser SANZAAR said that this year's tournament – beginning with the Springboks hosting Argentina on August 14 – would revert to a 12 match, four country format.
However, it said the match schedule was amended to take into account the ongoing effects of the coronavirus pandemic, including continued international travel restrictions and government quarantine protocols in the four countries.
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SANZAAR said South Africa will host two matches while Australia and New Zealand will host five matches each.
"We have worked tirelessly with the national unions through the continued difficulties associated with the pandemic," SANZAAR chief executive Brenda Morris said in a statement.
"This includes ongoing international border travel restrictions, quarantine protocols and player welfare concerns. Therefore, we have been unable to roll out the previously agreed mini tour format as we simply cannot play matches in Argentina at present due to the impact of the pandemic.
The six match 2020 Rugby Championship, held solely in Australia, was won by New Zealand.
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Not all of the venues for matches this season have been announced.
But Rugby Australia said Perth will be the site of the New Zealand-Wallabies match on August 21 and that Brisbane will host South Africa and the Wallabies on September 18.
"For fans in Perth, it doesn't get much bigger and better than a Bledisloe Cup Test on home soil and we can't wait to get back to Western Australia this year, and the brilliant Optus Stadium," RA chief executive Andy Marinos said.
"It was a spectacular night back in 2019 and the entire rugby community in Perth is buzzing ahead of the game in August.
"Then we look forward to the visit of Rassie Erasmus and the world champion Springboks. They thrilled the world with their play in Japan two years ago and we look forward to seeing them battle it out with our Wallabies on the 18th of September at Suncorp Stadium. They will be arriving on our shores fresh from their Lions tour, and we are excited to pit ourselves against them having missed that opportunity last year."
New Zealand will play South Africa in Dunedin on September 25, the 100th anniversary of the first match between the two teams in 1921.
"I can't wait for that one," All Blacks coach Ian Foster said.
"All the memories of big Test matches, it's hard to look past South Africa – even the ones I've been involved in, some of those games have been huge.
"There's something about it. There seems to be a mutual respect for the two nations that brings the most out in us. To be part of the chance to remember a bit of history will be pretty cool."
Tournament schedule
Saturday, August 14: South Africa vs Argentina in South Africa (venue TBD)
Saturday, August 21: Argentina vs Springboks in South Africa (venue TBD); Australia vs.New Zealand in Perth
Saturday August 28: New Zealand vs Australia in Wellington, New Zealand
Saturday, September 11: New Zealand vs Argentina in Auckland, New Zealand; Australia vs South Africa, Australia (venue TBD)
Saturday, September 18: Argentina vs New Zealand in Wellington; Australia vs South Africa in Brisbane
Saturday, September 25: New Zealand vs South Africa in Dunedin; Australia vs. Argentina in Australia (venue TBD)
Saturday, October 2: South Africa vs New Zealand in Auckland; Argentina vs Australia in Australia (venue TBD)
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