Rugby Championship

Sanzaar planning Rugby Championship hub in Australia?

2020-05-24 21:01
Dane Coles of the All Blacks gets in a scuffle with RG Snyman of the Springboks during the 2019 Rugby Championship Test Match between New Zealand and South Africa at Westpac Stadium (Photo by Anthony Au-Yeung/Getty Images)

Rugby Australia's (RA) new boss says Sanzaar is planning a Rugby Championship series played in an Australian 'hub' in October, New Zealand's Stuff website reports.

Register your interest for the British & Irish Lions tickets in South Africa 2021

Rob Clarke - who replaced Raelene Castle as Rugby Australia chief executive - said if the Rugby Championship plan did not go ahead, he was confident of a home-and-away Bledisloe Cup series between the All Blacks and the Wallabies.

Clarke told Sydney's Sunday Telegraph newspaper that there was "absolute commitment'' from Sanzaar to a "hub-based TRC (The Rugby Championship)".

"We can do it in the October-November time frame," Clarke said.

"If we can fly international teams into a hub like Australia that sits in the middle of our territories, and put together a competition structure that might well be more towards a Rugby World Cup-type structure where there might be midweek games and weekend games, try to condense it as much as possible, we're looking at that as a potential solution."

Clarke said if international travel restrictions prevented South Africa and Argentina flying to Australia, RA was "well down the path in discussions with New Zealand, for a three or four Test match Bledisloe series both home and away."

He said a Bledisloe series would rely on a trans-Tasman bubble to allow travel between the two countries.

"Based on what the governments are saying, it's a reasonable assumption."

The Springboks will be keen listeners to what exactly lockdown Level 3 entails. At this stage it appears unlikely that contact sport will be allowed to recommence any time soon.

An October-November Rugby Championship would spell the end of this year's planned end of year tour to Europe where the Springboks where due to play Italy, Ireland, France and Wales between November 7-28.

- Compiled by Sport24 staff

Read more on:    springboks  |  rugby championship  |  rugby

 

Read News24’s Comments Policy

Vote

Did the Springboks' performance against the All Blacks in Wellington change your belief in who will win the Rugby World Cup?

Men
Women
Love 2 Meet
Sport24 on Twitter

Follow Sport24 news on Twitter

Featured

The 2019/20 Absa Premiership season is in full swing. Will Mamelodi Sundowns retain their title? Or can one of Kaizer Chiefs, Orlando Pirates, Wits, SuperSport United - or another team perhaps - snatch glory from the Brazilians? Be sure to visit Sport24 for all the latest news!

Latest blogs
 

Twitter Follow Sport24 on Twitter

Facebook "Like" Sport24's Facebook page

WIN Enter and win with Sport24!

BlackBerry Stay in the loop on your BlackBerry

RSS Feeds Sport news delivered really simply.

 
There are new stories on the homepage. Click here to see them.