Springbok coach Jacques Nienaber will have his overseas-based players available for the November kick-off of the Rugby Championship.
This after World Rugby yesterday approved a temporary global calendar and also a temporary adjustment to Regulation 9, which deals with the release of players by clubs for international action.
Rugby’s rules usually allow for two release dates in a year - one for the July Test window and another for the November internationals.
But with the coronavirus pandemic turning the whole world upside down, they had to make ander plannetjies for international rugby to be played at full strength later this year meaning Faf de Klerk and a bunch of other Bok stars will be available to the national team.
According to Regulation 9: “Unless Council approves otherwise the three weekends in November shall be the first, second and third weekends.”
But they have now changed it globally to October 24 to the first weekend of December and from November 7 to the second weekend of December for the Rugby Championship.
A World Rugby statement adds: “With Covid-19 restrictions continuing to impact transcontinental travel and entry requirements, on an exceptional basis the Rugby Championship 2020 will take place over a reduced six-week period between November 7 and the second week in December with Sanzaar having asked New Zealand to host.
“Special measures will need to be implemented to deal with any government-required isolation period prior to the start of the competition.”
It continues: “The rescheduling of the domestic, European and international calendars will accommodate the ability for the professional clubs to have access to their star southern hemisphere international players for the completion of the postponed and rescheduled 2019/20 seasons at a time in which they would have ordinarily been on international duty in August and September.”