Tri Nations Championship 1996

Lore & Background

The opening tournament of 1996 was dominated by the All Blacks who stormed to victory undefeated, leaving the Springboks and the Wallabies with just one win each — against each other. The opening exchange was between New Zealand and Australia, New Zealand winning by over 40 points and, although they won all four of their games, the later matches were a lot closer in their scorelines. The launch of the Tri Nations was considered a huge success.

In Their Own Story

The air in Auckland was thick with humidity and anticipation as the final whistle approached at Eden Park. The scoreboard read 20-19, a narrow margin separating the All Blacks from the Wallabies in the decider of the inaugural Tri Nations. Sean Fitzpatrick, his jersey stained with mud and grass, rallied his forwards for one last defensive stand. The Australian fly-half kicked deep; the ball spiraled through the twilight, bouncing unpredictably on the wet turf before being trapped by a New Zealand winger. As the referee blew the final whistle, the players collapsed into each other's arms, realizing they had just secured the first-ever piece of silverware in a competition that would define a generation.

Reader's Guide

The 1996 Tri Nations Series was contested over four matches, with each nation playing the other two only once (single round-robin).

Did You Know?

• New Zealand won all four of their games in the 1996 Tri Nations.
• South Africa and Australia each had just one win in 1996, against each other.
• The competition was established to create an equivalent to the Five Nations in Europe.