Mid-year rugby union tests

For the most recent Mid-year window go to 2017 mid-year rugby union internationals

The mid-year tests are international rugby union matches played around the month of June 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, and serve as preparation for the southern hemisphere Rugby Championship teams. In 2012, 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.

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 the 1-1. France visited the USA and Canada, playing one test against each, and winning both.

2005 saw the British and Irish Lions undertake their first tour of New Zealand since 1993. New Zealand comprehensively won the 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.

Notes:

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 and 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.

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.

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