Rassie Erasmus proposes that the Rugby Championship be moved to summer to ease the strain on the world champion Springboks’ schedule.
Speaking to the UK’s Daily Telegraph, the two-time World Cup-winning coach argued that shifting the competition to run alongside the Six Nations from December to February would help manage player workload.
“I think it would have sorted out a lot of problems, player load and injury-wise. With the URC and European Cup, it would definitely free up a lot of weeks for us,” Erasmus said.
Since South Africa’s four leading franchises joined the Vodacom URC in 2021, the Boks have been operating on a split calendar — club rugby in the northern hemisphere winter, Test rugby in the southern hemisphere season. The result is a near year-round playing schedule, increasing player fatigue and injury risks.
While Erasmus supports realigning the Rugby Championship, he is less convinced about South Africa’s potential switch to the Six Nations. The idea has been floated before, given the Boks’ tactical style and the financial pull of the northern competition.
However, the former Bok loose forward believes the Six Nations sides are not eager to see South Africa join.
“Us joining the Six Nations, I’m not sure how that sits with other people. We admire the competition, and when I was at Munster, I realised how big it is,” he said.
“For me, having been there for 18 months or so, I’m not sure if the Six Nations and northern hemisphere would want us there.
“There are a lot of traditions that are a little bit more valuable than us just fitting in and thinking we can just go into a competition that has a hell of a lot of heritage, so I’m not sure what the answer is there.”
