[ad_1]
Rugby Championship Trophy (Getty Images)
SA Rugby declined to comment Thursday on reports that the world champion Springboks will not defend the Rugby championship title in Australia from next month due to insufficient preparations.
South Africa included Australia, Argentina and New Zealand in the matches, but organizers admitted last month that there were doubts about their participation.
New Zealand resumed rugby last June and Australia a month later amid the Covid-19 outbreak, but a more severe shutdown in South Africa prevented competitive rugby until last weekend.
The Stormers, who supplied eight of the 2019 Rugby World Cup winning teams, including captain Siya Kolisi, will play their first competitive match since March on Saturday.
This would mean Kolisi and his franchise teammates would travel to Australia with a maximum playing time of 80 minutes, while Springboks coach Jacques Nienaber wanted close to 500 minutes.
“If we can’t play six competitive games, then I don’t think we’ll go (to the Rugby Championship). The risk to the well-being of the players would be too great,” the manager said recently.
South African rugby manager Rassie Erasmus said: “We desperately want to play. The idea of a whole year going by without the Springboks playing an event is terrible.
“While we try our best to make it possible, there are difficulties. We have to get five out of six matches for the players before it is safe for them to compete in the tests.
A spokesperson for SA Rugby said that “there had been speculation in the media that the Springboks would not compete in the Rugby Championship.”
“However, SA Rugby would not comment on the reports until the Rugby Championship organizers have updated all concerned through official channels.”
On Wednesday, SANZAAR (South Africa, New Zealand, Australia, Argentina Rugby) said it had extended by 48 hours until Friday the deadline for South African officials to make a decision.
The Springboks, who beat England in the 2019 Rugby World Cup final in Japan, were due to play six consecutive Saturdays starting on November 7, beginning with a test against Argentina.
If South Africa does not travel to Australia, they could face the British and Irish Lions on tour in Soweto next July without having played since defeating England in November 2019.
There will also be a considerable financial hit with SA Rugby which could lose R300 million ($ 18 million / € 15.5 million) if it does not participate.
The governing body had to cut R1.2 million from the 2020 budget after the coronavirus pandemic brought rugby to a halt in South Africa last March.
SA Rugby suffered losses in 2016 and 2017 before making small gains in the next two years.
