SYDNEY (Reuters) – The governing body of southern hemisphere rugby, SANZAAR, has apologised for any confusion about the prospect of the Rugby Championship moving from its traditional August to October window to earlier in the year.
Reports earlier this year said SANZAAR was considering the shift to a March/April window at the behest of South Africa and Argentina, whose players now mostly play club and provincial rugby in European competitions.
The move gained more credence when Rugby Australia (RA) Chairman Hamish McLennan, who is also the current chairman of SANZAAR, told a podcast he would back it, leaving New Zealand Rugby alone to decide whether to veto the idea.
SANZAAR, however, released a statement soon after the podcast was released saying the body wanted to “clear up any misunderstanding surrounding the future playing window for The Rugby Championship” following the McLennan interview.
“SANZAAR can reiterate that until 2026 the existing mini-tour match schedule is locked in,” it read.
“Furthermore, The Rugby Championship window will not change from 2026 with the national unions working on competition models for the August/September window to ensure maximum high performance and commercial outcomes.
“SANZAAR apologises for any confusion on The Rugby Championship playing schedule.”
A move would allow South African and Argentine players some respite from the gruelling schedule required of those who play club rugby through the northern hemisphere season before representing their countries from August to November.
Although it would require a wholesale restructuring of provincial rugby in Australia and New Zealand, McLennan said he would support it if it prevented South Africa leaving the Rugby Championship for the Six Nations or an equivalent.
South African provincial sides now play in European competitions having left the southern hemisphere’s Super Rugby when it ground to a halt at the start of the COVID pandemic.
“If we can move the global calendar around so it’s all in sync we can preserve the Rugby Championship,” he said.
“I worry South Africa will migrate north completely. That would be a disaster for NZR and RA.”
South Africa is committed to remaining in the Rugby Championship until 2030.
A change to the Rugby Championship dates would also require World Rugby’s test player release windows to be altered, which would be hugely unpopular with European clubs.
The SANZAAR statement said such a change was unlikely to happen without a wholesale overhaul of the global rugby calendar, which has been much discussed over the last decade without any resolution.
(Reporting by Nick Mulvenney, editing by Peter Rutherford)
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