Australia face New Zealand twice in 2015 Rugby Championship

The Wallabies endured a difficult time of it in this year's Southern Hemisphere tournament, winning just two matches as they finished third behind champions New Zealand and South Africa.

Australia will line up alongside the likes of hosts England and Wales in a menacing-looking pool at the World Cup next September, and Monday's Rugby Championship draw threw up back-to-back matches against world champions New Zealand before they head to the global showpiece.

The Rugby Championship has been reduced to three fixtures to account for the World Cup, but each side will play an additional fourth match at the end of the campaign to finalise preparations ahead of the trip to England.

Australia's first fixture will see them host South Africa at the Suncorp Stadium on July 18, before travelling to Argentina, where they lost 21-17 earlier this month, a week later.

New Zealand visit ANZ Stadium on August 8 in the final competitive match of the tournament, before playing host to the Wallabies at Eden Park the following weekend.

The All Blacks welcome Argentina to Christchurch on July 17 ahead of their trips to South Africa and Australia, while the Springboks and the Pumas play each other in back-to-back fixtures to finish off their World Cup preparations.