Select Edition

Northern Northern
Southern Southern
Global Global
NZ NZ

Springboks set to choose Rugby Championship over Europe

By Online Editors
South Africa's Cheslin Kolbe. (Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images)

South Africa will either play in the Rugby Championship in New Zealand later this year or embark on a tour to Europe, but officials say they won’t have space on the calendar for both.

ADVERTISEMENT

The Springboks have not been in action since lifting the World Cup in Japan last year, beating England in the November final in Yokohama. They now face an uncertain schedule in the remainder of 2020 as travel restrictions due to the Covid-19 pandemic limit their ability to tackle multiple tours.

South African Rugby chief executive Jurie Roux said they were hoping to start an eight-team domestic competition in either late August or early September to prepare players for an international window somewhere between October and December.

Video Spacer

Win £5,000 for your local rugby club courtesy of Budgy Smuggler

Video Spacer

Win £5,000 for your local rugby club courtesy of Budgy Smuggler

“Whatever we can fit into that window we will and we are trying to deliver the Rugby Championship, which would almost certainly be in the bubble in New Zealand,” said Roux at a media conference.

“If we do that there will be no time for other internationals, and in any case the northern hemisphere has been clear that they want to complete the Six Nations and then play a tournament with Japan and Fiji in that period.”

Roux confirmed that the inbound tours by Scotland and Georgia, that had been scheduled for July, were cancelled and there would be no attempt to play them later in the year.

ADVERTISEMENT

The Boks were due to travel to Italy, France, Ireland and Wales for their traditional set of November internationals, the latter two fixtures providing vital preparation for a home meeting with the British and Irish Lions in July and August 2021.

But it now appears likely their only Test games prior to that lucrative tour, the biggest set of fixtures outside of a World Cup, will be against southern hemisphere opposition in the annual Championship tournament. 

ADVERTISEMENT

Join free

Aotearoa Rugby Podcast | Episode 6

Sam Warburton | The Big Jim Show | Full Episode

Japan Rugby League One | Sungoliath v Eagles | Full Match Replay

Japan Rugby League One | Spears v Wild Knights | Full Match Replay

Boks Office | Episode 10 | Six Nations Final Round Review

Aotearoa Rugby Podcast | How can New Zealand rugby beat this Ireland team

Beyond 80 | Episode 5

Rugby Europe Men's Championship Final | Georgia v Portugal | Full Match Replay

Trending on RugbyPass

Comments

Join free and tell us what you really think!

Sign up for free
ADVERTISEMENT

Latest Features

Comments on RugbyPass

B
Bull Shark 3 hours ago
Jake White: Are modern rugby players actually better?

Of the rugby I’ve born witness to in my lifetime - 1990 to date - I recognize great players throughout those years. But I have no doubt the game and the players are on average better today. So I doubt going back further is going to prove me wrong. The technical components of the game, set pieces, scrums, kicks, kicks at goal. And in general tactics employed are far more efficient, accurate and polished. Professional athletes that have invested countless hours on being accurate. There is one nation though that may be fairly competitive in any era - and that for me is the all blacks. And New Zealand players in general. NZ produces startling athletes who have fantastic ball skills. And then the odd phenomenon like Brooke. Lomu. Mcaw. Carter. Better than comparing players and teams across eras - I’ve often had this thought - that it would be very interesting to have a version of the game that is closer to its original form. What would the game look like today if the rules were rolled back. Not rules that promote safety obviously - but rules like: - a try being worth 1 point and conversion 2 points. Hence the term “try”. Earning a try at goals. Would we see more attacking play? - no lifting in the lineouts. - rucks and break down laws in general. They looked like wrestling matches in bygone eras. I wonder what a game applying 1995 rules would look like with modern players. It may be a daft exercise, but it would make for an interesting spectacle celebrating “purer” forms of the game that roll back the rules dramatically by a few versions. Would we come to learn that some of the rules/combinations of the rules we see today have actually made the game less attractive? I’d love to see an exhibition match like that.

29 Go to comments
FEATURE
FEATURE Luke Cowan-Dickie: 'I didn’t feel right. I felt like I was going to pass out. Everything was going black in front of me' Luke Cowan-Dickie: 'I didn’t feel right. I felt like I was going to pass out. Everything was going black in front of me'
Search