SA Set To Join Six Nations After 2026
The South African Springboks are reportedly open to joining the Six Nations after 2026 – this as a major overhaul of the global rugby calendar remains in motion.
Brokers of the game are due to meet next month in order to finalise plans for a biennial global competition, and it has now emerged that South Africa has already put Sanzaar on notice of its intentions.
Recent times have seen the Springboks aligning themselves increasingly more with the northern hemisphere. This is evident from local clubs the Lions, Stormers, Bulls and Sharks having joined the United Rugby Championship in recent years.
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Sanzaar revealed on Wednesday that the South Africa union has committed itself to the Rugby Championship until 2026. This is in line with broadcasting agreements, and also alludes to a significant change in attitude.
In order to negate certain financial challenges associated with such an alignment, South Africa has reportedly started talks with private equity firm CVC. The company owns stakes in the URC, the Premiership, and the Six Nations.
Said Sanzaar chief executive Brendan Morris this week, a large number of local and global broadcast deals have been extended to 2026. He said given the current financial climate, it is now up to everybody involved to do due diligence regarding those competitions they hope to be involved in.
The Six Nations, meanwhile, has said its current focus remains on a complete overhaul of the July and November Test windows. Discussions around these windows will likely result in a competition being staged every two years, beginning 2024.
