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Handre Pollard, Siya Kolisi (Getty Images)
South Africa Stars of Rugby World Cup 2019 Winner Gazelle The team was told on Friday that they can begin contact training after not being able to play since March due to the coronavirus.
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However, it remains uncertain whether the champions will be able to defend the Rugby Championship title in November and December.
Franchise coaches say players need at least four weeks of contact work before they can play, which means that a local competition cannot start before the weekend of September 25-26.
Were the Springboks going to compete in the November 7 to December 12 Championship, which will likely host New Zealand, they would have to leave South Africa before October 18.
Assuming the national games take place every weekend in South Africa, the potential Springboks would have played just four games before the travel deadline.
Referring to the Championship recently, Springboks coach Jacques Nienaber said that “unless we can play six domestic games, I don’t think we will go (to New Zealand).”
SA Rugby CEO Jurie Roux said: “Ultimately, it will be a rugby decision so I will rely heavily on our rugby director (Rassie Erasmus) and the Springbok coach.”
“They will decide where we are and if we have enough time to be adequately prepared for international matches against New Zealand and Australia.”
Typically, the Rugby Championship is a six-round competition that takes place between August and October and involves Argentina, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa.
Each team plays against the other three at home and away and the one that accumulates the most points from victories, draws and bonus points is crowned champion.
Covid-19 meant that the format had to be scrapped and New Zealand leaned in to host all six rounds as they have been less affected by the pandemic than the other three nations.
Announcing the move to contact training after five weeks of non-contact practice, Roux said “we are moving in the right direction and urge the rugby ‘family’ to bear with us.”
However, he did not reveal details of the national closed-door competition that would see rugby played in South Africa for the first time since March 14.
Originally, it was reported that two options were being considered: a two-round competition between the four South African Super Rugby teams followed by a single-round Currie Cup.
The previous proposal appears to have been scrapped with a double-round Currie Cup as the most likely way forward.
It would involve the Super Rugby Bulls, Lions, Sharks and Stormers teams, as well as Cheetahs, Griquas and Pumas.
The Kings would also have been invited, but the cash-strapped team announced this week that it would not play again this year to avoid more debt.
South Africa will be the last major rugby nation to restart domestic competition with New Zealand playing from mid-June and Australia in early July.
The English Premiership and PRO14, featuring Irish, Italian, Scottish and Welsh teams, have started and the French Top 14 is scheduled to start the first weekend of September.
