Rugby championship
Impey quits 'outdated' Sanzaar, calls for global vision
Sanzaar was set up in 1996 to manage the Super Rugby club competition and the Test tournament now known as the Rugby Championship but Impey said it was now...
The Springboks pulled out of this year's Rugby Championship citing a lack of match practice due to the coronavirus pandemic, shortly after withdrawing most of their club teams from Super Rugby and seeking places in Europe's Pro14 competition.
The Rugby Championship was supposed to start in August, with games in each nation, until the pandemic forced a postponement. Given travel restrictions and quarantine requirements, governing body Sanzaar decided to hold it in one country for the first time.
Gatland will lead the Lions for a third time on their tour of South Africa and said the Springboks risked being 'underdone' for the series in 2021.
With South Africa on the sidelines, the door is wide open for New Zealand or Australia to claim another title, with the Argentines considered long-shot underdogs.
Competitive rugby resumed in South Africa only this Friday after a six-month suspension triggered by COVID-19 and there is concern about the readiness of players for Test rugby.
Director of rugby and 2019 World Cup-winning coach Rassie Erasmus has told reporters he expects a decision by October 10.
As the COVID-19 pandemic forces a rethink of how the Sanzaar flagship tournaments are conducted, New Zealand also said it would go it alone again with Super Rugby next year.
Los Pumas said Cheika, who quit after the Wallabies' humiliating World Cup quarterfinal loss to England last year, would work as an external adviser during the tournament in Australia.
Rugby Championship organisers have unveiled a schedule that would leave the All Blacks stranded in quarantine at Christmas.
Sanzaar announced that the event would be held in Australia from 7 November to 12 December, however SA Rugby CEO, Jurie Roux did caution that the participation of defending champions, South Africa, still had to be confirmed.
The four-way international tournament, which involves world champions South Africa as well as New Zealand, Australia and Argentina, was originally scheduled to begin in August.
Reports claim Pollard's former side the Bulls, the Lions, the Sharks and the Stormers are set to replace the Cheetahs and the Southern Kings in the league which includes outfits from Ireland, Italy, Scotland and Wales.
World Rugby vice-president Bernard Laporte told French newspaper 'Le Progres' that the Springboks would replace Japan in the European tournament, which has been organised in place of the usual November internationals.
In a press release from SA Rugby, it was confirmed that 'Mr Nathi Mthethwa, the Minister for Sports, Arts and Culture… [has allowed] for a return to competitive action subject to compliance with measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19'.
The Springboks have not been in action since lifting the World Cup in Japan last year, and face an uncertain schedule in the remainder of 2020 as travel restrictions due to the COVID-19 pandemic limit their ability to tackle multiple tours.
Sanzaar had been working on a hub hosting all of the games in the annual southern hemisphere competition due to the novel coronavirus outbreak, although Australia had been reported as the most likely venue.
Sanzaar boss Andy Marinos said he was confident the Rugby Championship could be played in the final three months of the year.
SA Rugby's Jurie Roux said the probable loss of four months of the playing calendar would mean a re-working of the domestic calendar but he believed a re-designed Vodacom Super Rugby competition and the kick off of the Currie Cup were both possible.