World champion South Africa will not be testing this year due to the coronavirus pandemic, Jurie Roux, chief executive of the national rugby union, said Tuesday during a virtual media briefing.
The July international games against Scotland and Georgia were canceled a few months ago, and rugby championship games with Argentina, Australia and New Zealand were scheduled for August and September.
By late Monday, South Africa had 373,628 confirmed cases of COVID-19 disease and 5,173 deaths, with the pandemic not yet peaking in the most affected African country.
However, Roux did not rule out that the Springboks could play abroad later this year.
He said there could be a revised rugby championship in New Zealand and talks about a tour of Europe were underway.
The three-time world champion South Africa will face Italy, Ireland, France and Wales in November.
The cancellation of all six caps is a major financial blow for the national union, which has had little profit in the past two years.
South Africa won the World Cup for the third time last November by defeating England 32:12 in the final in the Japanese city of Yokohama.
Regarding Super Rugby, Roux said New Zealand alone could not determine the composition of the annual competition.
New Zealand announced last week that it will create a new competition next year, including Australia and the Pacific Islands, but excluding South Africa and Argentina.
“There is a legal and binding agreement with the SANZAAR alliance, and anyone who violates it would be able to be held liable,” said Roux.
“We weren’t kicked out of Super Rugby. If anything, New Zealand kicked itself out.”
The 2020 edition was suspended due to the pandemic in March, and New Zealand and Australia have since launched domestic versions.
South Africa and Argentina are much more affected by COVID-19 than the Australasian countries. Rugby has not been possible since mid-March.
Roux said all options for the four South African super rugby teams (Bulls, Lions, Sharks and Stormers) were being considered, including switching to the predominantly European Pro14.
It was speculated that a competition involving four Irish and Welsh teams and two each from Italy, Scotland and South Africa could be expanded to a “Pro16”.
If this were the case, the current South African participants, the cheetahs and kings, might have to get out.
