| The Nelson Mandela Challenge Plate is contested between South Africa and Australia as part of the Tri Nations Fixtures played between the two countries. It was first played during the 2000 Tri Nations championship and has since been won 3 times by Australia and twice by South Africa.
Prior to the introduction of the third test during the 2006 Tri Nations, the Mandela Challenge Plate was determined by the best of two performances between the teams, with a draw resulting in the current holders retaining the plate. From the 2008 Tri Nations Series onwards the Mandela Challenge Plate will be decided by the results in the three tests played between Australia and South Africa.
The past two Mandela Challenge Plates' have been won with relative ease by Australia. In 2006 the Wallabies won the first two matches, walloping the Springboks 49 - 0 in the first game of the series before winning the second game on home soil 20-18, meaning that the defeat in South Africa counted for very little other than South African pride.
The 2007 Tri Nations meetings between the sides saw the Boks beat the Wallabies at Newlands, Cape Town 22 - 19, meaning that Australia needed to beat South Africa at Stadium Australia, Sydney to retain the Mandela Challenge Plate, which they duly did winning 25 points to 17.
Nelson Mandela Challenge Plate Winners:
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