The world champion Springboks will not play a single match of rugby in 2020 after the South African Rugby Union announced its withdrawal from this year’s Rugby Championship on Friday.
With the coronavirus pandemic wat almal se plannetjies deurmekaar krap, Saru released a statement saying: “The ongoing complications related to the Covid-19 pandemic and concerns about seriously jeopardising player welfare, made it impossible to commit to Sanzaar that South Africa would be able to compete.”
The Springboks were scheduled to play their first international of the year against Argentina on November 7 in the Australia bio-bubble, with the SA-based contingent of the squad due to fly Down Under yesterday.
But with competitive rugby only returning to South Africa last weekend, there was no chance of this happening.
Saru’s director of rugby, Rassie Erasmus, says: “We worked out that the players needed a minimum of 400 minutes of game time before they could be ready for a Test match.
“The overseas-based players had started playing before us and they would have been getting close to that time by 7 November. But many of those have completed their programmes or have had covid outbreaks which has interrupted the planning.
“The Japanese based players haven’t played any rugby at all, while the home-based players would be well short of 400 minutes by the time of kick off.”
Of not playing rugby this year, Saru CEO Jurie Roux says: “It seems impossible that the Springboks won’t play a Test match in 2020, but public health and safety have been the primary concern and we have [taken] collateral damage.
“All we can do now is enjoy our domestic competitions and find ways to be ready for the arrival of the British and Irish Lions in 2021.”