A report that South Africa are contemplating a move away from southern hemisphere rugby’s SANZAAR alliance to join an expanded Six Nations in 2024 have been denied by New Zealand Rugby, with television agreements in place until 2025.
Britain’s Daily Mail newspaper on Saturday reported that South Africa would join the existing Six Nations countries and abandon Super Rugby and the Rugby Championship after the next World Cup in France in 2023.
The unsourced report had few details and did not take account of the fact that South Africa had signed a new broadcast contract to stay in SANZAAR until 2025, something New Zealand Rugby chief executive Mark Robinson confirmed yesterday.
“Like us, they’ve signed agreements with their broadcasters through 2025 to be involved with SANZAAR,” Robinson told Radio Sport. “Our broadcast deal ... is from 2021 to 2025. South Africa are in the same space. We’re committed to the international calendar... There will be opportunities for them to review certain things within that, but overall they’ve got that commitment.”
Robinson added that South African Rugby had been involved in talks about the future of Super Rugby and the Rugby Championship, with a possible expansion to include Japan and Pacific Islands teams.
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