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Final positions | |
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Champions | ![]() |
Bledisloe Cup | ![]() |
Freedom Cup | ![]() |
Mandela Challenge Plate | ![]() |
Tournament statistics | |
Matches played | 9 |
Tries scored | 42 (4.67 per match) |
Attendance | 406,899 (45,211 per match) |
Top scorer(s) | ![]() |
Most tries | ![]() ![]() |
← 2005 2007 → |
The 2006 Tri Nations Series was the 10th Tri Nations Series, an annual rugby union competition between the national teams of Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. New Zealand won the competition with three rounds still to play after their victory over Australia on 19 August, their 21st consecutive home win.[1]
For the first time, in 2006 each team played the others three times, instead of twice, as had been the case previously. This was the result of a new television deal between SANZAR, the consortium of the three countries' rugby federations that organises the tournament, and broadcasters in the SANZAR countries and the United Kingdom.[2] As a result, the duration of the competition was extended and it ran from 8 July to 9 September.
New Zealand won all three matches against Australia, thus retaining the Bledisloe Cup. They also won two of their three matches against South Africa, thereby winning the Freedom Cup for the first time. Australia regained the Mandela Challenge Plate after winning their two home tests against South Africa.