SANZAR is a joint venture of the Australian, New Zealand and South African Rugby Unions established in 1996.It is the body charged with running the flagship international tournaments of the southern hemisphere.Super Rugby - the largest and pre-eminent rugby competition in the southern hemisphere featuring 15 teams from Australia, New Zealand, Japan and South Africa. The competition was established in 1996 with 12 franchises and expanded in 2006 (formerly known as Super 12 and Super 14).The Rugby Championship - an international series contested annually between Argentina, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. Formerly known as the 'Tri-Nations', the competition was expanded to welcome Argentina to the fold in 2012.