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- Sanzaar has given South Africa an additional 48 hours to make a call regarding participation in the Springboks Rugby Championship.
- The governing body had initially set a deadline on Wednesday for SA Rugby to finalize negotiations and confirm its participation.
- Bok coach Jacques Nienaber has expressed concern about the fitness of his players.
South Africa’s participation in the southern hemisphere Rugby championship was put into further doubt on Wednesday, as the 2020 World Cup winners’ departure for Australia was delayed for another 48 hours.
Coach Jacques nienaber has expressed concern about the physical condition of its players after a long break imposed by the coronavirus.
With the added complications of traveling to host country Australia, which has strict quarantine rules, organizers are scrambling for defending Rugby Championship winners to participate.
They had set a deadline Wednesday for South Africa to finish negotiations and confirm that they would line up in the four-nation test championship starting next month.
But after a last minute teleconference between the sport’s governing bodies in South Africa, New Zealand, Australia and Argentina, the organizers indicated that no agreement had been reached and gave SA Rugby “an additional 48 hours to finalize their internal discussions. with stakeholders “.
“This will now delay the scheduled departure of the Springboks from South Africa to Australia,” said governing body Sanzaar.
Competitive rugby resumed in South Africa just last weekend after a six-month suspension triggered by Covid-19.
Nienaber has said that he would not be in favor of competing at the test level unless his chosen players had participated in a minimum of six matches.
That seems impossible given that South Africa’s first game against Argentina is scheduled for November 7 in Brisbane.
“Sanzaar will provide an update on the resolution of these discussions and a schedule for the Springboks’ participation in the Rugby Championship when it becomes available in the coming days,” added the governing body.
The Rugby Championship was created in 2012 when Argentina joined a competition formerly called the Tri Nations.
