World Rankings: Springboks keep top spot from All Blacks after Rugby Championship glory

The Springboks successfully defended their Rugby Championship crown with a hard-fought 29-27 win over Argentina at the Allianz Stadium, Twickenham, clinching back-to-back RC titles for the first time in their history. Scrum half Cobus Reinach and hooker Malcolm Marx both crossed for braces, to guide South Africa towards a crucial victory and maintain their top spot in the global standings.

The All Blacks remain in second place in the World Rugby Rankings, having taken the top spot as recently as August. New Zealand were propelled to the summit following their Round 1 Rugby Championship win over Argentina in Cordoba, in the same weekend which witnessed Australia stun South Africa 38-22 in Johannesburg.

However, the Springboks returned to the mountain top and reclaimed their number one ranking in mid-September, after hammering the All Blacks 43-10 in Wellington. This Round 4 win for Rassie Erasmus' side not only reclaimed South Africa their number one accolade, it was also New Zealand's heaviest ever Test match defeat in their 121 year history. As a result, New Zealand slipped down to third in the rankings, with Ireland enjoying a brief stay upon the second highest rung.

New Zealand would return to winning form for the closing fortnight of the Rugby Championship, with back-to-back victories over the Wallabies to retain the Bledisloe Cup. New Zealand's grasp upon the collosal piece of silverware now extends into it's 13th consecutive year, as the All Blacks despatched of Joe Schmidt's side in Auckland's Eden Park, and across the Tasman Sea in Perth's Optus Stadium.

The subsequent triumph in Western Australia pushed the All Blacks back into second place, with the playing field shaping up nicely for the upcoming Autumn Nations Series. All eyes will be on Chicago, Illinois for the opening round, as New Zealand and Ireland clash at Soldier Field in Round 1.

Here’s a look at how the top 10 nations now stack up as the Autumn internationals approach:

South Africa now leads New Zealand by just 0.82 points, setting the stage for a fascinating series of November Tests. Ireland and France round out the top four, while Argentina maintains sixth place, in what is a key factor, as the seedings for the 2027 World Cup draw take shape later this year. The Rugby Championship may be over, but the global stage is far from settled. Every ranking point counts as teams gear up for the November tour and look to secure a favourable draw for the 2027 Rugby World Cup.