Rugby Championship

Having withdrawn from this season’s Australia-based competition due to concerns surrounding the Covid-19 pandemic, fears rose that that could spell an end to the four-team competition, with the Springboks favouring a potentially seismic move to the northern hemisphere and the Six Nations.

Those fears have obviously been allayed and after the news was announced by SANZAAR, there have now called for the Rugby Championship tournament to welcome new additions – with Japan and Fiji being the most discussed.

There were fears the Springboks, who aren’t participating in this year’s tournament due to the affects of COVID-19, would link up with northern hemisphere nations.

The tournament is currently being played in Australia but as a Tri-Nations involving Australia, New Zealand and Argentina.

However, SANZAAR announced on Wednesday South Africa were on board for 2021 and beyond.

The championship will be restructured to include a 12-match format with teams playing each other on a home and away basis.

RNZ has been told that the South Africans have decided they won't take part in the tournament in Australia.

The Springboks have cited player welfare and the need for government approval as sticking points in taking part in the competition.

The South Africans had to leave for Australia this weekend to fulfil their quarantine requirements in time.

South Africa's withdrawal means that the other three teams will share a bye each week of the tournament.

Boffelli is among the squad’s home-based players currently in quarantine in Sydney, where all members produced negative results in the latest round of COVID-19 tests conducted.

He says there is mounting excitement among the team, who are preparing under the eye of coach Mario Ledesma and their consultant, former Australia coach Michael Cheika, especially with the influx of their European-based players early next week.

The southern hemisphere championship, which also includes Australia, New Zealand and Argentina, will be held entirely in Australia this year because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Rugby South Africa said last weekend that "several hurdles" needed to be cleared before they could confirm the Springboks' participation and that they hoped to make a decision early this week.

South African Rugby are set to announce whether or not they will participate in the seven-week tournament in Australia, starting later this month with a Test between the Wallabies and All Blacks.

Many of the Argentine players have already arrived in Australia but there are ongoing concerns about the Springboks’ lack of preparation, with their players only just resuming Super Rugby after a six month delay due to COVID-19.

The Springboks haven’t played together since winning the World Cup final against England in Japan last November.

Chairman Brent Impey said all options remain on the table regarding the tournament, to be held in Australia from November 7 to December 12, including the All Blacks boycotting their final game.

RNZ understands New Zealand Rugby are pushing hard to move the final game forward to Wednesday December 9, but that would rob the competition of it's final weekend double header and likely affect the potential revenue made from the match.

That could mean NZR may be asked by Rugby Australia to soak up some of that financial loss if RA were to agree to shift the date of the game.

All four teams will take part.

New Zealand will host Australia in two Bledisloe Cup tests before the Rugby Championship.

The tournament was moved from its traditional August-September window due to the ongoing effects of the global COVID-19 pandemic.

The tournament will comprise a six-week, 12-match, "home and away" tournament involving Argentina, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa.

After a two-month lockdown to contain the spread of COVID-19, Australian authorities have allowed sports to restart domestic competition but international fixtures remain in doubt due to travel curbs and border controls.

"We're exploring with the Australian government whether that can be a bubble here in Australia and we fly in all of the SANZAAR partners and they are in a training bubble and then we can quarantine effectively and play a competition," RA interim CEO Rob Clarke said on Tuesday.

Before the Rugby Championship the Highlanders loosie told All Blacks coach Steve Hansen he wasn't ready for Test rugby and this week he was left out of the World Cup squad.

On social media Squire has opened up about what he's been going through, saying he didn't feel "physically or mentally" ready for the pressures of test rugby.