Sanzaar has confirmed the abbreviated six-match schedule for this year’s Rugby Championship, which will see the Springboks play just one match at home.

As it is a World Cup year, the Rugby Championship is shortened to a three-round, six-match tournament from the traditional six-round, 12-match tournament. Each team will play each other either home or away this year.

With Vodacom Super Rugby now playing unbroken for 21 weeks, without the previous June break for inbound Test matches, the Championship kicks off earlier, on Saturday, 20 July.

The Springboks will start their campaign against Australia in Johannesburg before facing the All Blacks in Wellington and Argentina in Salta to end the tournament.

An additional round of matches will be played on the weekend of 17 August to allow a further home match for New Zealand and South Africa, as preparation for the World Cup.

Rugby Championship fixtures:

Saturday 20 July:

South Africa vs Australia (Johannesburg, 5:05pm)

Sunday 21 July:

Argentina vs New Zealand (Buenos Aires, 0:40am)

Saurday 27 July:

New Zealand vs South Africa (Wellington, 9:35am)
Australia vs Argentina (Brisbane, 12pm)

Saturday 10 August:

Australia vs New Zealand (Perth, 12pm)
Argentina vs South Africa (Salta, 9:40pm)

Saturday 17 August (additional round, not part of Rugby Championship):

New Zealand vs Australia (Auckland, 9:35am)
South Africa vs Argentina (Pretoria, 5:05pm)

Photo: Hannah Peters/Getty Images