Mid-year rugby union internationals explained

For the most recent mid-year window go to 2024 mid-year rugby union tests

The July Tests, also known as the summer Tests or mid-year Tests, are international rugby union matches played around the month of July each year. They include traditional summer tours by European nations to countries in the southern hemisphere, North America or Japan, as well as shorter international trips and one-off test matches. They follow the end of the domestic rugby season for northern hemisphere countries. In 2008, the International Rugby Board (IRB) introduced a three-weekend window in June during which players are required to be released by their clubs for international matches.[1] From 2020 due to changes to the World Rugby international calendar, the window will be moved to July.

Mid-year tests since 2004

2004

See main article: 2004 mid-year rugby union tests. Australia hosted a tour by Scotland and won 2-0, while New Zealand won their home series against England by the same score. Ireland made a tour of South Africa, losing their 2-0. The Pacific Islanders (made up of Fiji, Tonga and Samoa players) played Australia, New Zealand and South Africa once each, losing all 3 matches. Wales toured Argentina, drawing 1-1. France visited the US and Canada, playing one test against each, and winning both.

Test Series ResultVictor
New Zealand v England2–0
Argentina v Wales1–1Drawn
South Africa v Ireland2–0
Australia v Scotland2–0

2005

See main article: 2005 mid-year rugby union tests. 2005 saw the British & Irish Lions undertake their first tour of New Zealand since 1993. New Zealand comprehensively won 3-0. Ireland and Wales toured with teams weakened by players representing the Lions; Wales won one test each against the USA and Canada, while Japan were defeated 2–0 by Ireland. Japan had previously visited Uruguay and Argentina, losing one test to each.

Australia won home tests against Samoa, Italy and France. Australia then played South Africa twice, home and away, with the home team winning each time. South Africa hosted a two-test series against France, winning 1-0 with one match drawn. Italy also toured Argentina, drawing a two-test series 1-1.

Test Series ResultVictor
New Zealand v British & Irish Lions3–0
South Africa v France1–0
Japan v Ireland0–2
Argentina v Italy1–1Drawn

2006

See main article: 2006 mid-year rugby union tests.

Test Series ResultVictor
Australia v England2–0
Argentina v Wales2–0
New Zealand v Ireland2–0
South Africa v Scotland2–0

Notes:

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2007

See main article: 2007 mid-year rugby union tests.

Test Series ResultVictor
South Africa v England2–0
Australia v Wales2–0
Argentina v Ireland2–0
New Zealand v France2–0
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2008

See main article: 2008 mid-year rugby union tests.

Test Series ResultVictor
New Zealand v England2–0
South Africa v Wales2–0
Argentina v Scotland1–1Drawn
Australia v France2–0
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2009

See main article: 2009 mid-year rugby union tests.

Test Series ResultVictor
South Africa v British & Irish Lions2–1
Argentina v England 1–1Drawn
New Zealand v France1–1Drawn
Australia v Italy2–0

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2010

See main article: 2010 mid-year rugby union tests.

Test Series ResultVictor
Australia v England1–1drawn
New Zealand v Wales2–0
Argentina v Scotland0–2
South Africa v Italy2–0

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2011

See main article: 2011 mid-year rugby union tests.

This was the first time since 1973, and only the second in the past 50 years, that none of the Home nations, or the British & Irish Lions, toured the southern hemisphere in the summer. Instead, there were warm-up matches ahead of the 2011 Rugby World Cup in New Zealand.----

2012

See main article: 2012 mid-year rugby union tests. In 2012 the IRB formalised a global rugby calendar, which will run until 2019. The calendar includes a return of some traditional tours by European teams, in which a team plays multiple tests against a southern hemisphere side, often with mid-week matches against provincial or regional sides.

England and Wales beat the Barbarians, with only Wales awarding caps, before touring South Africa and Australia respectively.South Africa hosted England for three tests, the first extended tour there since the Lions' 1997 tour, and won the series 2-0, with one draw.

Australia hosted Wales, playing their first three-test home series since the visit of the Lions in 2001, and winning 3-0. Australia had already lost a home test to Scotland, who also beat Fiji and Samoa in single tests. Scotland's visit to the Pacific islands was the first tour there by a tier 1 nation since 2006.

Ireland lost to the Barbarians, also a non-cap game, before touring New Zealand and being swept 3-0 in the series. This was Ireland and New Zealand's first ever three-test series, and the first longer tour hosted there since the Lions' visit in 2005.

Argentina hosted France, drawing a two-test series 1-1, and Italy, who they defeated in a single test. Italy also played tests against the USA and Canada, winning both.

The new calendar also provided expanded opportunities for "Tier 2" nations. Georgia visited Canada and the USA, losing one-off test matches to both. After their Pacific Nations Cup games, Japan played two home matches against the French Barbarians, losing both.

Test Series ResultVictor
Australia v Wales (3 tests)3–0
New Zealand v Ireland (3 tests)3–0
Argentina v France (2 tests)1–1Drawn
South Africa v England (3 tests)2–0
Japan v French Barbarians (2 tests)0–2French Barbarians

Notes:

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2013

See main article: 2013 mid-year rugby union tests.

Test Series ResultVictor
Australia v British & Irish Lions (3 tests)1–2British & Irish Lions
New Zealand v France (3 tests)3–0
Argentina v England (2 tests)0–2
Japan v Wales (2 tests)1–1Drawn
South African Quadrangular Tournament–

Note:

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2014

See main article: 2014 mid-year rugby union tests.

Test Series ResultVictor
Argentina v Ireland0–2
Australia v France3–0
New Zealand v England3–0
South Africa v Wales2–0
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2015

See main article: 2015 mid-year rugby union internationals.

Because of the 2015 Rugby World Cup, no test series took place between the Home Unions (England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales) and the SANZAR nations (South Africa, New Zealand and Australia). However, England, Ireland, Uruguay, Argentina, and South Africa did opt to play uncapped matches to assist their World Cup preparations.

Some Test matches were still played. Samoa hosted New Zealand in Apia, and Fiji hosted the Maori All Blacks in Suva. Kenya hosted test matches against Portugal and Spain.[2] A two test-series was also played with Russia touring to Namibia.

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2016

See main article: 2016 mid-year rugby union internationals.

EventResultVictor
Argentina v France test series1–1Drawn
Australia v England test series0–3
Japan v Scotland test series0–2
South Africa v Ireland test series2–1
New Zealand v Wales test series3–0

2017

See main article: 2017 mid-year rugby union internationals.

EventResultVictor
Argentina v England test series0–2
Japan v Ireland test series0–2
New Zealand v British & Irish Lions test series1–1Drawn
South Africa v France test series3–0
South Africa A v French Barbarians series2–0

2018

See main article: 2018 June rugby union tests.

EventResultVictor
South Africa v England test series2–1
Australia v Ireland test series1–2
Argentina v Wales test series0–2
New Zealand v France test series3–0
Japan v Italy series1–1Drawn

2019

See main article: 2019 June rugby union tests.

Because of the 2019 Rugby World Cup, no test series took place between the Home Unions (England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales) and the SANZAAR nations (South Africa, New Zealand and Australia and Argentina). However, Uruguay did opt to play a match to assist their World Cup preparation.

Some Test matches were still played. Spain and Romania toured South America, both teams playing tests against Brazil and Chile with Spain playing an addition match against Uruguay.

2020

See main article: 2020 July rugby union tests.

EventResultVictor
Argentina v France test seriesCancelled
Australia v Ireland test series
Japan v England test series
South Africa v Scotland test series

2021

See main article: 2021 July rugby union tests.

EventResultVictor
South Africa v British & Irish Lions test series2–1
New Zealand v Fiji series2–0
Australia v France test series2–1
South Africa v Georgia test series1–0
Argentina v Wales test series0–1

2022

See main article: 2022 mid-year rugby union tests.

EventResultVictor
Australia v England test series1–2
New Zealand v Ireland test series1–2
Japan v Uruguay test series2–0
Japan v France test series0–2
Māori All Blacks v Ireland series1–1Drawn
Argentina v Scotland test series2–1
Uruguay v Romania test series1–1Drawn
South Africa v Wales test series2–1

Other tours

Team/TourOpponents
(Won) – (Won)
(Won) – (Won) – (Lost)
(Won) – Currie Cup XV (Lost)

See also

Notes and References

  1. Web site: IRB adopts new player release rules.
  2. http://allafrica.com/stories/201505061305.html Kenya Ties Against Portugal, Spain Upgraded By World Rugby

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