Springboks Joining Eight Nations ’Pure speculation’

The governing body of the Rugby Championship and Super Rugby, SANZAAR, has dismissed recent reports that the Springboks are set to skip the Rugby Championship later this year.

The response from SANZAAR comes after World Rugby vice-president Bernard Laporte confirmed that they were in advanced negotiations with SA Rugby to have the Springboks replace Japan in the Eight Nations competition later this year.

‘The Japanese will not come to Europe,’ Laporte told French news outlet Le Progres.

‘We are looking for a nation to replace them. We are in advanced discussions with South Africa. It would be great to be able to face the world champion Springboks in this championship, but it’s not yet done.’

However, Sanzaar said on Monday the report was "pure speculation".

New Zealand Rugby said last month Sanzaar were keen on hosting the Rugby Championship in a 'hub' scenario with New Zealand the favoured destination with the competition to run from early November to mid-December.

South Africa's participation in the tournament has been in some doubt with the country's franchise only returning to contact training this week with details of a domestic Super Rugby tournament of sorts yet to be confirmed by SA Rugby. The teams would also need to be quarantined for two weeks before leaving for New Zealand as well as two weeks in New Zealand before the competition kicks off.

European rugby officials organised an eight-team tournament, involving the Six Nations countries plus Fiji and Japan, for the same time, although Japan's Kyodo News reported last Thursday that the Brave Blossoms had withdrawn.

According to the report, the Japan Rugby Football Union has decided not to take part in an eight-team international tournament due to complications caused by the coronavirus pandemic with Japan having heavy restrictions in place on the entry of foreign passport holders which has kept members of the Japan national coaching team out of the country, making it difficult to hold a domestic camp in preparation for the tournament.