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South Africa will not be joining the Six Nations. The speculated move is officially not happening. South Africa, reports Rapport. SA Rugby had been interested in playing in the European tournament, thereby leaving the Rugby Championship. The change would have completely aligned South Africa with the Northern rugby calendar.
South Africa’s leading professional rugby teams no longer compete in the Southern Hemisphere’s winter. The Bulls, Lions, Sharks, and Stormers left Super Rugby to compete in the United Rugby Championship (URC) in 2021. This came after the Southern Kings and Cheetahs joined the URC in 2017.
Of note is that many of South Africa’s top players do not play for South Africa’s URC teams. 18 of South Africa’s 35 World Cup 2023 roster currently play abroad.This excludes Duane Vermeulen who has retired. These Springboks play in England, France, Ireland, and Japan. In short, Springboks are not playing professional rugby which follows the Southern Hemisphere Calendar.
Joining the Six Nations would mean that South Africa would become completely aligned with Europe’s Six Nations. The discussions between SA Rugby and the Six Nations began alongside the addition of the Bulls, Lions, Sharks and Stormers to Super Rugby.
This would mean that there could be an official rest period to establish a global season. An example of the problems that players face was recently raised by Pumas center Matías Moroni. There is no global season.
SA Rugby hoped that South Africa could compete in the 2025 Six Nations. This would be the one-and-only edition of the competition before the beginning of the Nations Cup. The World Rugby pushed competition will see Tier 1 teams (plus Japan and Fiji) competing against each other in an annual competition.
The outcome of South Africa not joining the Six Nations also confirms the continuation of the Springboks in the Rugby Championship. Three of the four Semi Finalists from Rugby World Cup 2023 are Rugby Championship teams. South Africa won in 1995, 2007, 2019 and 2023. New Zealand won in 1987, 2011 and 2015. Australia won in 1991 and 1999. England’s 2003 victory is the only time a non-Rugby Championship side has won the Rugby World Cup.
South Africa remaining in the Rugby Championship means continued annual competition between the Springboks and Los Pumas. Argentina joined the former Tri Nations in 2012. Possible expansion exists for Fiji and Japan to join the competition which would come together with the Nations Cup to enable six teams to match that of the Six Nations.
