Australia

Scrum-half Will Genia will make his first Test start for two months when Australia open their World Cup campaign against Fiji in Cardiff on Wednesday.

Matt Giteau and Drew Mitchell have sought advice from Jonny Wilkinson to help mastermind Australia's bid for World Cup glory on English soil.

Bath head coach Mike Ford has backed Sam Burgess to remain with the Aviva Premiership club for the next four years despite speculation linking the 26-year-old with a return to rugby league.

Christian Leali'ifano is keen to show the Wallabies what they will miss at the World Cup when the Barbarians face Samoa, according to Jamie Joseph.

Australia flanker Michael Hooper will share the vice-captain's armband with Adam Ashley-Cooper as he makes his first appearance at a Rugby World Cup.

New Zealand roared to a 41-13 win at an emotional Eden Park to retain the Bledisloe Cup against an Australia side who had no answer to the power running of Ma'a Nonu.

Richie McCaw has banned all talk of his world record 142nd Test appearance ahead of Saturday's Bledisloe Cup clash with Australia in Auckland.

On Saturday, Australia grafted their way to an impressive 27-19 victory over New Zealand in Sydney, lifting the 2015 Rugby Championship in the process.

The Rugby Championship 2015 is over with the Wallabies the unlikely winners given that they started the competition as the third ranked team. Here are seven things we've learnt over the last month.

The Rugby Championship may still have a round of fixtures left to play, but the four games played so far have highlighted a lot of the respective strengths and weaknesses of the quartet from the southern hemisphere.

Munster have announced the signing of Australia international lock Mark Chisholm.

As if England's Pool A wasn't tough enough, the 'group of death' just had its' status well and truly reinforced.

Whilst nations all around the world search for an openside flanker capable of dominating the breakdown for them, Michael Cheika is in the enviable position of picking from three or four genuinely world class options at the position.

Australia set up a Rugby Championship showdown against New Zealand as they routed Argentina 34-9 in a bonus point victory in Mendoza.

Kane Douglas could challenge for a place in Australia's World Cup squad after being released from his Leinster contract with immediate effect.

New Zealand, Australia, South Africa and Argentina began their preparations for the Rugby World Cup in serious fashion this weekend as a condensed Rugby Championship got underway.

The Rugby Championship kicked off this weekend, with Australia and South Africa stealing the show thanks to their dramatic clash at Suncorp in Brisbane.

Tevita Kuridrani scored a stoppage-time try to complete a stunning comeback victory for Australia as they defeated South Africa 24-20 in their opening Rugby Championship match in Brisbane.

Ahead of the opening weekend of the Rugby Championship, Talking Rugby Union previews Round One’s encounters.

We won’t find out until October 31st who is the best international team on the planet, but the Rugby Championship, which begins this weekend, will give us a slight indication at how well the Southern Hemisphere teams are shaping up.