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South Africa will return to the Rugby Championship in 2021. The 2019 World Champions pulled-out of the 2020 edition due to the Covid-19 pandemic. SA Rugby’s decision reduced the 2020 Rugby Championship to a Tri Nations tournament.
The 2020 Tri Nations sees Australia hosting all matches. The Wallabies are joined by Argentina and New Zealand. Game one saw New Zealand comprehensively beating Australia in Sydney.
The 2021 Rugby Championship will be different from prior editions. First, there will be no Super Rugby involving teams from the four competitors earlier in the year. Second, Teams will play tour matches over consecutive weekends against their rivals. This will replace the home-and-away format.
The alterations come with South Africa’s governing body, SA Rugby, in talks with the Pro 14. There is advanced planning for the Bulls, Lions, Sharks, and Stormers to play in the Celtic-Italian League. They would do so with the Cheetahs and Kings no longer involved.
The expansion into a Pro 16 brings with it both questions and speculation. Will the Springboks also migrate from the Rugby Championship to the Six Nations? SANZAAR has responded with a definitive no. Argentina, South Africa, New Zealand, and South Africa are committed to the Rugby Championship until 2030.
Additional announcements are due in the coming weeks. Two issues that remain are: what will happen to Los Jaguares? Will the Rugby Championship move to a different slot in the calendar?
