The annual competition between Australia, New Zealand and South Africa was called the Tri Nations.
The Tri Nations began in 1996, following the creation of professional rugby union and the establishment of SANZAR, the organisation formed by the three southern-hemisphere unions. Each team played the others in a home-and-away format.
Argentina joined the competition in 2012, expanding it to four nations and prompting the name change to The Rugby Championship. Australia, New Zealand and South Africa therefore competed under the Tri Nations name from 1996 through 2011.
The Tri Nations name is often confused with the modern competition. The Rugby Championship is the current four-team tournament, while the Bledisloe Cup is the separate trophy contested by Australia and New Zealand within it.