OPINION: Saru must stand firm in Rugby Championship push

The South African Rugby Union (Saru) must stand their ground in their reported push to have the Rugby Championship moved into the same international window as the Six Nations.

If Saru want their franchise teams to thrive and to keep their Springboks in the best possible condition every year, it is one of two realistic options, the other being ditching the Rugby Championship in favour of joining the Six Nations.

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Currently South Africa-based Springbok players do not get an off season, as they start with the United Rugby Championship in September, move straight into the mid-year internationals in July, then on to the Rugby Championship and end-of-year Tests.

It is a vicious cycle and one that will come back to bite them if not fixed, as players will be unable to handle the workload every season and that will lead to major injuries.

With this year being a World Cup year, the Bok management found a workaround, giving their SA based players a month off, before having them take part in a national training camp for a month.

But this was to the detriment of the franchise sides that had their best players unavailable for those two months, which is a problem they have at the start of the season as well, due to the Boks being in Rugby Championship action.

Deserved break

Although the SA based players received a break, the French and English based Bok players did not, which is a problem as they have been playing non-stop, while the Japan based Boks do get a break due to having a shorter season.

In the end something has to give, as the current status quo is unsustainable and if it stays the same it will only be to the detriment of the Springboks, Bok players and SA franchises.

Luckily Saru reportedly has an ally in the Argentine Rugby Union, with most of their players competing in Europe and in the same situation.

But if the New Zealand and Australian Rugby Unions refuse to come to an agreement, Saru must realistically look at ditching the Rugby Championship to join the Six Nations if possible, as that may be the best answer.