SA Rugby offers to host the remainder of the Rugby Championship in SA

20 August 2021 - 11:22 By mahlatse mphahlele
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SA Rugby CEO Jurie Roux.
SA Rugby CEO Jurie Roux.
Image: GALLO IMAGES

SA Rugby has expressed the desire to host the remainder of the Rugby Championship in South Africa after the cancellation of the Springboks’ scheduled fixtures in New Zealand.

Sanzaar (SA, New Zealand, Australia and Argentina Rugby) announced overnight that the latest outbreaks of Covid-19 in Australia and New Zealand had caused massive disruption to the tournament’s match schedule. This followed the tightening of regulations placed on travel and quarantine by various state and national governments.

New Zealand announced that the planned matches against the Springboks in Auckland and Dunedin at the end of next month had been cancelled. Then, without informing their Sanzaar partners, unilaterally issued a media release announcing they would not fly their team to Perth as scheduled for a planned match against the Wallabies.

Sanzaar said it was “working night and day with all stakeholders, and the tournament’s associated commercial partners and rights-holding broadcasters, to find a suitable solution for the remaining matches” of the Rugby Championship.

Jurie Roux, SA Rugby CEO said: “We have advised Sanzaar that we are ready and able to host the remainder of the competition in South Africa, pending our government’s approval.

“We are now well-versed in turning on rugby Tests within the prevailing Covid restrictions and have the venues and accommodation necessary. We just need the go-ahead.”

The Springboks and Pumas were scheduled to fly to Australia on Sunday night but that has been put on hold until a new schedule for the tournament is confirmed.

Sanzaar is considering a range of options, including the hosting of the event in SA, and would make an announcement once all logistical, commercial, and broadcasting considerations had been taken into account.

Saturday’s Rugby Championship match between the Boks and Pumas at Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium is unaffected and will go ahead as scheduled.


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