Speculation mounts that Springboks could withdraw from Rugby Championship in Australia

It is speculated that the Springboks will withdraw from the Rugby Championship, which could turn the southern hemisphere tournament on its head.

South Africa is expected to announce this week whether it will attend the tournament against the All Blacks, Wallabies and Pumas to be held in Australia in November and December.

Former Springboks coach Jake White has raised concerns about the preparation of the players and now English journalist Martin Gillingham has tweeted that he understands South Africa will withdraw.

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“SA Rugby expects to announce in the coming days that the Springboks are withdrawing from the Rugby Championship,” he said. “His first test is supposed to be against Argentina on November 7. Rassie Erasmus will cite ‘player welfare’ as the reason.”

SA Rugby issued a statement over the weekend saying: “The Springboks’ ability to participate in the Rugby Championship will be finalized early next week.

“The team must defend its title in Australia between November 7 and December 12, but several obstacles need to be overcome to confirm this.”

The Springboks have not played since winning the World Cup final against England in Japan last November.

They are due to play the All Blacks at the Rugby Championship on November 21 and 28.

Last week, Springbok captain Siya Kolisi admitted that “we are a long way off in terms of physical condition and preparation for games from where we were at the World Cup.”

Over the weekend, White backed up ongoing concerns about the Springboks’ readiness for test action due to their limited preparations with the newly resumed rugby in South Africa, where Covid-19 remains rampant.

“From a rugby perspective, as a former coach, I think it’s fantastic that the guys want to play test matches,” White told the media after his Bulls team beat Griquas 30-23 at the weekend.

“I fully understand that it is not the ideal preparation and, probably, if I were a coach I would be asking SA Rugby to try to find ways in which we do not participate because the situation is a bit unfair.”

New Zealand and Australia have already completed national Super Rugby competitions and played an exciting draw at the opening round of the Bledisloe Cup in Wellington on Sunday.

White felt the Springboks might need to call in more of their overseas players who would be fitter if they were competitive. But the logistics of that were difficult as European club rugby gets stuck in matches to make up for lost time.

“There are club players who will have to meet our commitments in that regard,” said White, who guided the Springboks to their 2007 World Cup triumph in France.

“Allied to that are the local players who have only played two competitive matches and now have to go to the Rugby Championship. It’s not ideal. “

White conceded that the dire financial implications of not going to Australia would likely strain the hand of South African administrators, who must also work out the conditions around the government’s authorization to send Springboks abroad amid the current health crisis.

“I also fully understand that there are other things that come into play,” White said.

“We are the current holders of the title and there is the issue of television rights that are placed. If you are sitting in the boardroom and doing the sums, you have one perception of what should happen and if you are a coach you have another.

“It’s a tough decision to make. I’m sure whatever it takes, it will be.”