Cracking weekend of horseracing

It looks like a done deal – if the Springboks want to defend their Rugby Championship title they will have to do it away from their home comforts. The Boks won the Championship last year for only the fourth time in a shortened version due to the World Cup, adding to titles in 1998, 2004 and 2009.

If it does take place at all this year, The Championship, previously known as the Tri-Nations, will have to be held in a single “eco-bubble”, according to Sanzaar’s Chief Executive Officer Andy Marinos.

The four Sanzaar countries, comprising South Africa, New Zealand, Australia and Argentina, will, however, still have to agree that Sydney is the venue where it should be held and of course, pending the approval of World Rugby and the World Health Organisation (WHO).

The Sanzaar ship it seems is sailing in troubled waters these days, if reports from Down Under are to be believed.

A New Sanzaar deal is due to be discussed next year which could put the future of Super Rugby and the Rugby Championship in the balance.

The huge travel factor from South Africa to Australasia and vice versa is believed to be the biggest point of discussion with the Kiwis and the Wallabies apparently more keen to compete in a Trans-Tasman competition which may exclude South Africa and Argentina.

The voices are also becoming louder for the Boks to compete in the future in the Six Nations and the four South African Super Rugby franchises in an enlarged Pro16 or Pro18 competition, with or without the Cheetahs and the Kings.

The main talking point is that logistically, it would make more sense with the time zone difference of between one and two hours between South Africa and the United Kingdom as opposed to the 11-hour and seven-hour time difference of New Zealand and Australia respectively.

To lure big-name and Test-laden clubs like Munster, Ulster and Llanelli to stadiums like Loftus, Ellis Park, Kings Park and the Cape Town Stadium could prove to be a bigger drawcard for spectators compared to Super Rugby visits from Down Under, which has always struggled to bring in the local crowds.

SA Rugby, however, would be stuck with a potential banana peel if they were to sacrifice the Cheetahs and the Kings. The Cheetahs have been a feeder of future Boks while the Eastern Cape region is the biggest hub when it comes to developing black African talent in the country.