All Blacks and Springboks in talks to revive ‘traditional tours’
Pieter-Steph du Toit of South Africa in action in a maul during the International match between the South Africa Springboks and the New Zealand All Blacks at Twickenham Stadium
New Zealand and South Africa are in talks to revive old-school All Blacks-Springboks tours during the Rugby Championship.
The move comes after South African franchises left the Super Rugby competition to head north with the creation of the United Rugby Championship.
Traditional All Blacks and Springboks tours
The All Blacks and Wallabies‘ performances on the international stage have dipped since South Africa’s departure, with All Blacks assistant coach Jason Ryan conceding that the loss of the South African sides has impacted the All Blacks’ forward play.
To offset this, SA Rugby and NZ Rugby have been in talks over a return to more of a traditional touring schedule during the Rugby Championship, which could see the Springboks face Super Rugby sides and the All Blacks take on South African URC sides.
“We are working with New Zealand on something exciting that we will announce in the next few months,” SA Rugby president Mark Alexander told the Rapport in early September.
“If the global season becomes a reality, it will help because we will then see all the national teams playing at the same time.”
Since then, NZ Rugby chief executive Mark Robinson has commented on the report and confirmed to Stuff.co.nz that the two nations are in talks.
“That’s certainly part of the conversation at the moment, [for it] to be a more, you know, more traditional type of tour, but again, there’s a lot of work to be done there,” Robinson told Stuff.
“We’ve been open with all the SANZAAR parties that that’s something that we’re having a look at, and how we can consider that sort of format for the future.
“So, it’s early days, but obviously, with the reduction in time we have in playing against South Africa in Super [Rugby], I think there would be real interest in it.
“Clearly, there is interest in it from both unions, but it’s very early days around those conversations.”
The one stumbling block would be the Rugby Championship moving to the same international window as the Six Nations.
SA Rugby have been in favour of the move, with the Bulls, Lions, Sharks and Stormers competing in the URC and EPCR competitions.
Jaguares set for Super Rugby return
Meanwhile, Argentina rugby president Gabriel Travelaglini has revealed that the Jaguares could return to Super Rugby.
The team competed in the tournament between 2016 and 2020, but like the South African franchises, the Jaguares withdrew from the competition during the COVID-19 pandemic.
In an interview with Argentine publication La Nacion, Travelaglini said that they have been invited back into the tournament from 2026, with the current broadcasting rights in New Zealand and Australia expiring in 2025.
“We have the invitation, but it would be from 2026 because they have already closed the current one,” Travelaglini said.
“It is planned to set up a franchise. We have the commitment that they will receive us and that we will play games at home and away.”
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