‘SA has not been kicked out of Super Rugby’

Challenges due to travel restrictions but SA Rugby are still in the Sanzaar alliance

SA Rugby’s CEO Jurie Roux responded to the news this past week that New Zealand wanted to go forward without South Africa in a new Super Rugby trans-Tasman structure by warning that any move to go it alone could have legal consequences.

While there are challenges provided by travel restrictions due to the Covid-19 pandemic, Roux made it clear that SA Rugby are still very much in the Sanzaar alliance.

“I see that we are being deemed as ‘kicked out of Super Rugby’. I think if anyone kicked anybody out of Super Rugby it is New Zealand who kicked themselves out of it,” Roux said during a virtual press conference on Tuesday.

“I am less worried about those nuances. New Zealand have every right to determine their future, but in terms of Sanzaar and the joint venture agreement there is a legal agreement in place.”

He did, however, explain that the biggest logistical hurdle was the travel restrictions, with SA and Argentina unlikely to be able to enter New Zealand before May 2021.

“Everybody has seen the New Zealand announcement in terms of their preferred structure in 2021. To be fair to our New Zealand counterparts, they have consistently in different meetings raised the fact that as a crossover year in 2021, given the restrictions in travel and given the restrictions around Covid and borders, as well as travel cost and the likelihood of a reduction of flights to New Zealand, there was every indication that neither SA or Argentina would be able enter New Zealand possibly up until the end of May outside a quarantine process.

Roux said New Zealand had suggested domestic tournaments ahead of a crossover league when travel is able to resume.

“New Zealand have opted to play a domestic competition first, before we go into a crossover competition of some format. That format is still being discussed by Sanzaar, we had a call this week, there are different options on the table and the executive will need to make a decision at some stage.

“But as in everything, we’ve always dealt with things in a very constructive manner. We are still within Sanzaar, we are having discussions as to what 2021 will look like and beyond 2021.”

But he did hint that SA may be looking to Europe, and that plans are “far down the road” for an alternative should Super Rugby fall flat.

“Having said that, I would not be doing my job along with my executive if I did not look at a plan B and a plan C. I’ve been doing that for far longer than 12 months in terms of having options for South African rugby. I can’t say what they are but I can say we are a far way down the road on having options that will probably suit us better in building towards what we believe is our strategic framework and direction in the next 10 years.

“In the end we need to weigh up the options within the Sanzaar framework for what is best for SA Rugby.” —supersport.com

We are still within Sanzaar, we are having discussions as to what 2021 will look like and beyond 2021