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Springboks-All Blacks tours agreed to place Rugby Championship in doubt
By Ben Smith
A new touring proposal between South Africa and New Zealand has been agreed between the two unions according to a report by The Telegraph, with contract talks at the final stages.
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New Zealand will tour South Africa in 2026 with eight games proposed, including three Tests between the All Blacks and Springboks, before New Zealand host South Africa four years later in 2030.
South African publication The Daily Maverick reported representatives met in the lead-up to the Ellis Park Test last weekend, won by the Springboks 31-27.
The proposed tour, which will require sign off from World Rugby, is set to drastically change the Southern Hemisphere calendar in those years with The Rugby Championship model surely in doubt.
“I just spent two days with the New Zealand leadership in what we are calling the greatest rugby rivalry,” said Rian Oberholzer, chief executive of the South African Rugby Union.
“It’s a working title, although some people might say it is arrogant to say that.
“We have signed a memorandum of understanding and we are in the planning phases now. We have a draft schedule that must still be agreed.
“It is a collaboration of two unions that have agreed to work together off the field. We believe we have to be closer – and we have never been close.
“Let’s fight on the field and let’s work off the field to the betterment of both of the unions.”
Oberholzer confirmed that discussions with Australia and Argentina were underway with SARU tabling an amended version of the Rugby Championship.
“If it is not going to happen, we as SARU did say to Argentina and Australia that we will play one-off Test matches against them,” he said.
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