Latest news with #SANZAAR
The Age
13-06-2025
- Sport
- The Age
‘Another Aussie': Even Schmidt can't ignore elephant in Lions room
There is certainly precedence for picking players who originate from Australia, New Zealand and South Africa – former Crusaders winger Sean Maitland, Dylan Hartley and Matt Stevens, a Junior Springbok, all made the initial selection. There has been a long history of players from the SANZAAR countries finding their way into the Home Nations' Test teams: in that sense this Lions tour is nothing different, and the 'nothing to see here' argument put forward in some quarters in the northern hemisphere holds water. There is no doubt, either, that all the SANZAAR Lions have displayed a level of personal commitment and passion for their adopted countries. But this is really a numbers game, and the volume of SANZAAR players in this year's squad is atypical. In fact, it might never be repeated because World Rugby changed the eligibility laws at the end of 2020 to extend the residential qualification period from three years to five years. It was a significant rule change advertised at the time to uphold the 'integrity and sanctity' of the international game, but it came too late to affect this Lions squad. The second question of whether it matters is an emotive one. Lions icon Willie McBride raised his head above the parapet a few months ago and said he was 'bothered' by the presence of eight players who were not born in either Britain or Ireland. McBride was subsequently labelled by some as an old man shouting at the clouds, but not so fast. This week, recently retired England halfback Danny Care voiced the same sentiment. 'Whatever I say here, you're going to get stick. You open yourself up to it,' he told the BBC Rugby Union Weekly podcast. 'It doesn't sit that well with me that some of these… both your starting wingers are going to be lads that never, ever once in their childhood or even their mid-20s ever dreamt of wearing a red Lions jersey.' Loading In other words, it does matter, and it matters to British and Irish players – this is not simply a topic being beaten up by the venomous Australian media to unsettle the tourists. Schmidt, of course, has to be careful on the subject. As Ireland coach he benefited from the services of both Bundee Aki, a New Zealander of Samoan heritage, and CJ Stander, a South African, in a famous win against the All Blacks in 2018. And, as he said earlier in the week, he coached Bealham as well. It would be hypocritical of him to use the SANZAAR players as a stick to beat the Lions with. But for the rest of us, there is the nagging question of why the Lions have been permitted to turn SANZAAR players against the Wallabies in a series that is ultimately designed to test the quality of the rugby that is being played within the respective borders of the Australia and the British and Irish Isles?
Sydney Morning Herald
13-06-2025
- Sport
- Sydney Morning Herald
‘Another Aussie': Even Schmidt can't ignore elephant in Lions room
There is certainly precedence for picking players who originate from Australia, New Zealand and South Africa – former Crusaders winger Sean Maitland, Dylan Hartley and Matt Stevens, a Junior Springbok, all made the initial selection. There has been a long history of players from the SANZAAR countries finding their way into the Home Nations' Test teams: in that sense this Lions tour is nothing different, and the 'nothing to see here' argument put forward in some quarters in the northern hemisphere holds water. There is no doubt, either, that all the SANZAAR Lions have displayed a level of personal commitment and passion for their adopted countries. But this is really a numbers game, and the volume of SANZAAR players in this year's squad is atypical. In fact, it might never be repeated because World Rugby changed the eligibility laws at the end of 2020 to extend the residential qualification period from three years to five years. It was a significant rule change advertised at the time to uphold the 'integrity and sanctity' of the international game, but it came too late to affect this Lions squad. The second question of whether it matters is an emotive one. Lions icon Willie McBride raised his head above the parapet a few months ago and said he was 'bothered' by the presence of eight players who were not born in either Britain or Ireland. McBride was subsequently labelled by some as an old man shouting at the clouds, but not so fast. This week, recently retired England halfback Danny Care voiced the same sentiment. 'Whatever I say here, you're going to get stick. You open yourself up to it,' he told the BBC Rugby Union Weekly podcast. 'It doesn't sit that well with me that some of these… both your starting wingers are going to be lads that never, ever once in their childhood or even their mid-20s ever dreamt of wearing a red Lions jersey.' Loading In other words, it does matter, and it matters to British and Irish players – this is not simply a topic being beaten up by the venomous Australian media to unsettle the tourists. Schmidt, of course, has to be careful on the subject. As Ireland coach he benefited from the services of both Bundee Aki, a New Zealander of Samoan heritage, and CJ Stander, a South African, in a famous win against the All Blacks in 2018. And, as he said earlier in the week, he coached Bealham as well. It would be hypocritical of him to use the SANZAAR players as a stick to beat the Lions with. But for the rest of us, there is the nagging question of why the Lions have been permitted to turn SANZAAR players against the Wallabies in a series that is ultimately designed to test the quality of the rugby that is being played within the respective borders of the Australia and the British and Irish Isles?
The South African
13-05-2025
- Sport
- The South African
Rugby Championship 2025 fixtures, dates, venues, kick-off times confirmed
SANZAAR has confirmed the match schedule for the 2025 Rugby Championship that will be played from 16 August to 2 October. The four unions have each announced their match venues for the tournament, but as of Tuesday, these and the match kick-off times have been finalised. The Rugby Championship mini-tour format will remain in place with each team to play six matches comprising three home matches and three away matches. Each team will host a two-match tour, will play an away two-match tour, and play a one-match home and away series against the third remaining team. This year, South Africa will host Australia for two matches before heading to New Zealand for two away matches. New Zealand will head to Argentina for its away mini-tour prior to hosting South Africa, while Australia will host Argentina for two matches. The Bledisloe Cup home and away Tests between Australia and New Zealand will take place in Perth and Auckland this year, with South Africa and Argentina meeting in Durban and London. The London fixture will be only the second time a Rugby Championship match has been played outside of the four core territories of Argentina, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. SANZAAR CEO Brendan Morris stated, 'The Rugby Championship is the pinnacle of southern hemisphere rugby and one of the world's most prestigious tournaments. 'This year will be no different as some of the best Test teams in the world do battle across 11 cities across the four nations. 'Anticipation is again high for the 2025 edition of the Rugby Championship as the top talent from Argentina, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa do battle for southern hemisphere supremacy. 'South Africa are the current world champions and incumbent Rugby Championship champions, while Argentina are now fifth in the world rankings. 'New Zealand will warm-up with a Test series against France while the Wallabies have a big series against the British & Irish Lions to prepare for the championship. 'Tickets will be in demand for these matches so fans should book early as we anticipate big crowds at the stadiums, including iconic venues such as Eden Park in Auckland, Accor Stadium in Sydney, Ellis Park in Johannesburg and Estadio Velez Sarsfield in Buenos Aires. 'This year the tournament finishes with a match at Allianz Stadium Twickenham in London when Argentina host the Springboks. 'This is an exciting opportunity to showcase the Rugby Championship in the UK. 'All the action will be delivered by our host broadcast partners (ESPN, Stan/NEC, Sky New Zealand and SuperSport) and other territory rights holding broadcasters to ensure sports fans all around the world can tune into the world class rugby action.' Tickets are on sale via and England Rugby, starting from just £55* for adults and £28* for Under-16s. Hospitality packages are also available on (*booking fees apply) Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1 Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X and Bluesky for the latest news.
The South African
28-04-2025
- Sport
- The South African
Springboks Look Ahead to New Challenges After Six Nations Setback
The Six Nations has always been a Northern Hemisphere competition, with South Africa part of the Southern Hemisphere Rugby Championship. While speculation about South Africa joining the Six Nations has been rife since 2022, the Six Nations committee itself has long stated that nothing is going ahead. And so it seems to be true. However, part of this push came from the inclusion of South African clubs into both the Champions Cup and the United Rugby Championship. With no moves for South Africa to join the Six Nations, what else lies in store for the Springboks team as they continue moving forward in their goal of world domination? One of the biggest things on the horizon for international rugby and the South African team is the exciting World Rugby Nations Championship. To start in 2026, this tournament is to be a new biennial international rugby competition. The top division of 12 teams will participate, split across two conferences — European (which includes the Six Nations teams) and the Rest of the World Conference (includes SANZAAR nations, Fiji and Japan). All teams will play each other in opposing conferences throughout July and November. There will be a grand final to determine the overall winners. And, from 2030, there will be promotions and relegation into and out of the competition with the simultaneously played lower division teams. However, for South Africa, adding this to their already strained calendar is going to be a bit difficult. The country has a packed rugby season, which is only going to get more complicated with this exciting tournament. The new schedule and increased player load with more test schedules are likely to prove complicated. South Africa's biggest problem, however, remains the fact that they are out of sync with everyone else. Attempting to be part of both Northern and Southern hemisphere seasons and games comes at a cost. And that cost is a gruelling 12-month season with no real respite for the players. Yes, it means there are tons of live sports events for South African supporters, but it does mean that the players play throughout the year with no break. It also means that there is the potential for some readjustment regarding the rugby sporting calendar. Right now, since South African teams left the Super Rugby tournament, they have aligned their club season with that of the Northern Hemisphere, hence the push to join the Six Nations. But this means that there are no breaks elsewhere. So, the new proposal is to move the Rugby Championship to align with the Six Nations. In doing so, this would free up a lot of South African players and give them a bit of a break during the year. While this is a radical suggestion, it's one not without merit, especially given the arrival of other tournaments and the expansion of rugby as a whole to include smaller teams in a bid to make the sport more inclusive. For South Africa, a lot is going on with all the changes in the rugby world. Of course, they're all positive for the most part, as it means that there will be more games available. However, the new schedule will be challenging for players as new competitors will change from those that the Springboks are used to. Logistical travel challenges will also become increasingly apparent. As with all things, though, if thought through carefully, this new tournament could be a major boost for international rugby.
Reuters
11-02-2025
- Sport
- Reuters
Argentina v South Africa Rugby Championship clash to be held at Twickenham
Feb 11 (Reuters) - Argentina will play their 2025 Rugby Championship home game against South Africa in England at Twickenham, governing body SANZAAR said on Tuesday. The southern hemisphere Rugby Championship between Australia, New Zealand and South Africa was launched in 1996 and later expanded to include Argentina. The fixture, to be played on October 4, is only the second match in the annual tournament's history to be held outside of the four involved nations. Advertisement · Scroll to continue Report this ad Twickenham, also known as the "Allianz Stadium" for sponsorship reasons, hosted an Argentina 'home match' against Australia in the 2016 edition. "It's always exciting to play at Allianz Stadium and we look forward to facing Argentina for the first time in the UK," South Africa coach Rassie Erasmus said. "We've played two neutral-venue test matches at the iconic stadium since 2023 against New Zealand and Wales, and we thoroughly enjoyed the experience, especially with the passionate crowd filling the stadium and the large contingent of Springbok supporters based in the UK." Argentina will have their work cut out against defending champions South Africa, who have also won the last two Rugby World Cups. "It is an honour that Los Pumas have the opportunity to face the Springboks, the current World Champions, at the legendary Allianz Stadium known as the 'Home of Rugby'...," Argentine Rugby Union president Gabriel Travaglini said in a statement. "Undoubtedly, it will be an unforgettable experience for our players and a great opportunity to show our rugby to all the fans around the world." The Rugby Championship kicks off on August 16 when South Africa host Australia.
