This year’s Rugby Championship will be the annual competition that pits the Rugby Union teams of Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa against one another for the 17th time (first championship was in 1996). However, this year we will see Argentina featured in this renowned competition for the first time in the competition’s history. Because of the different sponsorships this year, the 2012 Rugby Championship will be entitled:
1.The Castle Rugby Championship (South Africa)
2.The Castrol Edge Rugby Championship (Australia)
3. The Investec Rugby Championship (New Zealand)
This year’s Rugby Championship will kick off on Saturday, the 18th of August and end on Saturday, the 6th of October, a total of six Saturdays in a row in different areas of the world during this annual competition. Each team will play every other team two times during the championship rounds for a total of 6 games each, so 3 home games and 3 away games. Each of the home games will be played in a different city and stadium appointed for that particular game.
The cities and stadiums of each round
There are 6 rounds played on consecutive Saturdays (numbered Rounds 1 through 6) with two games being played each Saturday for a total of 12 games. The following is a breakdown of the entire schedule with the stadium and city of each game listed as follows:
Round 1 – August 18th
New Zealand @ Australia – ANZ Stadium, Sydney
Argentina @ South Africa – DHL Newlands, Cape Town
Round 2 – August 25th
Australia @ New Zealand – Eden Park, Auckland
South Africa @ Argentina – Estadio Malvinas Argentinas, Mendoza
Round 3 – September 8th
South Africa @ Australia – Patersons Stadium, Perth
Argentina @ New Zealand – Westpac Stadium, Wellington
Round 4 – September 15th
Argentina @ Australia – Skilled Park, the Gold Coast
South Africa @ New Zealand – Forsyth Barr Stadium, Dunedin
Round 5 – September 29th
Australia @ South Africa – Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria
New Zealand @ Argentina – Estadio Ciudad de La Plata, La Plata
Round 6 – October 6th
New Zealand @ South Africa – FNB Stadium, Johannesburg
Australia @ Argentina – Estadio Gigante Arroyito, Rosario
As you can see, there are some excellent cities worth visiting during the 2012 Rugby Championship. If you had the time and the budget to afford a sports vacation over a period of 7 to 8 weeks, this would be an excellent choice. As you can see from the schedule, there is also a two week break between Rounds 4 and 5 which would give you time to relax and do some serious exploring. Look at the schedule of home games and you will see the options light up before your eyes as far as composing your itinerary is concerned.
Hotel:
Great Southern Hotel – Sydney, Australia
Average Price: €73
Average Rating: 9.3
Trigg Retreat Bed and Breakfast – Perth, Australia
Average Price: €146
Average Rating: 10
The Townhouse Hotel – Cape Town, South Africa
Average Price: €67
Average Rating: 8
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