JOHANNESBURG - The Rugby Championship fixtures are not yet set in stone, but expect it to be around about the same time of the year as it has always been in 2021.
That was the opinion of SA Rugby president Mark Alexander on Thursday as the union officially unveiled Castle Lager as the series sponsor for next year's highly anticipated British and Irish Lions tour at the cavernous FNB Stadium.
As Alexander explained to the scrum of reporters at the event, there were still many logistical hurdles to overcome, but if his words ring true, then the Springboks will compete in the Southern Hemisphere's premier Test tournament during the August to October window, as has been the case previously.
Said the president: "The calendar is not finalised, we have only finalised the rugby calendar for this year.
"Next year's calendar is still under discussion. One thing that is for sure is that it is still in July that we will be playing the British and Irish Lions series. That is confirmed. That is the only one confirmed for next year. World Rugby is still in discussion as to what is going to happen with the global calendar.
"The way things are looking now," Alexander continued, "I think the calendar will remain the same for next year as well and we will probably look at changing the calendar in 2022 (to accommodate the Pro Rugby League, the Currie Cup, Inbound and Outbound Tours and the Rugby Championship), but it is under discussion."
Alexander also revealed that SA Rugby were considering their options and were in discussions with World Rugby to organise a handful of Test matches for the Boks ahead of what is expected to be a brutal three-Test match series against the Lions at FNB Stadium, Cape Town Stadium and lastly Emirates Airline Park.
"We are looking at that," Alexander said. "We are busy with that. We are looking at having a couple of games. We will confirm that once we have confirmed with World Rugby that we can have games.
"You know, we can't just organise a game with another country. We have to get permission from World Rugby and we are seeking permission to have at least three or four games before we play the series."
Meanwhile, not presuming his station, Emirates Lions coach Ivan van Rooyen believed that the continued support from SA Rugby of the Championship would only be good for the Springboks and the country's rugby in general.
"It is a good barometer to rate ourselves against New Zealand and Australia," said Van Rooyen of the Boks' continued participation until at least 2030 in the Championship during the team announcement for their game against the Blue Bulls on Saturday (kick off 7pm).
"We have played against them for years and we know what type of rugby they play and it has kept us sharp. I think the fact that we will be playing in the Northern Hemisphere (in the Pro Rugby League) will be a unique challenge for us but it is always a good thing to measure ourselves against New Zealand, who are consistently one of the top three teams in world rugby.
"Australia, under Dave Rennie, I think will also be exciting the type of rugby that they will want to play. I think to pay week-in and week-out in Europe and then at Test level, to measure yourself against (Argentina, Australia and New Zealand), will be healthy for South African rugby, "he concluded.
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