Sport

Rugby Championship to go ahead in 2022 with all four teams

10:33 am on 16 February 2022

SANZAAR intends to play a complete Rugby Championship this year spread across all four countries.

Photo: Photosport

The 2020 tournament was played in Australia without the Springboks, while last year all four teams took part with most of the competition held in Australia.

There has been speculation that South Africa was keen to join the Six Nations.

Rugby Australia, New Zealand Rugby, South Africa Rugby and Union Argentina Rugby have all committed to the organisation through to the end of the current broadcasting cycle in 2025, a SANZAAR statement said.

Despite the lingering effects of the pandemic, it is planned that the Rugby Championship 2022 will be played in its entirety with a return to matches being played in all four countries.

Due to the pandemic the match schedule over the last two years has been severely affected with no matches played in Argentina and only a handful of matches taking place in South Africa and New Zealand.

The full 2022 match schedule will be announced in due course.

SANZAAR chairman Marcelo Rodriguez stated, "The pandemic has created a very unusual sporting environment over the last two years with match and commercial delivery severely affected. This has seen the member unions work very hard to keep rugby alive and present during Covid and at times this has not been easy."

"Indeed, there has been much speculation about the future but it is now great that all members have committed through until the end of 2025 as a minimum. This means we can concentrate on ensuring the Rugby Championship remains as one of the best rugby tournaments on the world calendar," Rodriguez said.

New Zealand and Australian teams along with Moana Pasifika and Fijian Drua will compete in Super Rugby Pacific, while four South African teams are competing in the United Rugby Championship which also involves teams from Ireland, Italy, Scotland and Wales.