Sky Sports has announced that live rugby from New Zealand, Australia, South Africa and Argentina will be broadcast over the next five years as part of a new deal with SANZAR.

Viewers will be able to watch at least 150 fixtures a year from various competitions, including the Rugby Championship, which will feature all four of this year's World Cup semi-finalists.

Action from Home Nations England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales will also be shown when the teams head off on their summer tours in the Southern Hemisphere.

Sky Sports managing director Barney Francis said: "This deal offers our viewers more mouth-watering fixtures from the world's best teams that have been entertaining fans throughout the Rugby World Cup.

"As well as the Rugby Championship, we also have the next two England summer tours, fascinating home nations fixtures and of course, more of the All Blacks, Wallabies, Springboks and Argentina than anywhere else. Add this to our current year round schedule and our viewers can now enjoy more live rugby union than ever before."

SANZAR chairman Mark Alexander added: "SANZAR is delighted to be renewing its broadcasting deal with Sky Sports that has been our valued partner for the past 20 years since the inception of professional rugby in 1996. We have a very strong fan base in the United Kingdom and Ireland and it is important for us that they can see as much SANZAR content as possible. Sky Sports delivers this for us."

The broadcaster will also show domestic matches from Super Rugby, ITM Cup, the Currie Cup and the National Rugby Championship.