Rugby closes again: South Africa and New Zealand ‘expel’ Australia and Argentina

International rugby may be close to suffer -this is the word- another reform draft and, again, in the usual sense: castellation of the elite and exclusion of the rest. The striking thing is that this time it is going to be left out to one of the countries of the most traditional elite already the strongest of the emerging powers, two Tier 1 countries: Australia and Argentina They are going to be left out of a ‘reform’ promoted by South Africa y New Zealand. It consists of reducing the Rugby Championship at a tournament a a single turn for the All Blacks and Springboks to grant each other more dates to play with each other.

Rian Oberholzerchief executive of the South African Rugby Union, has announced that New Zealand and South Africa plan bilateral tours from 2026: The All Blacks and the Springboks would visit each other during eight weekscon four ‘test matches’ between national teams and as many matches against provincial franchises (Stormers, Bulls, Sharks…) in the manner of the classic tours of ‘amateur’ times. The events would be named after ‘Rugby’s greatest rivalry [Rugby world greatest rivalry]‘ and, curiously, they would not have to take place in African or oceanic territory either, since London is already being considered as the setting for a ‘test match’ of the first edition.

This calendar reform would go to the detriment of Australia and Argentina, participants in the Rugby Championship, which even could disappear. The tournament was created in 1996 and in 2011 Argentina entered. In recent years Australia has entered into a sporting crisis but Argentina has progressed after its regular contact with the best to the point that in 2024 they have achieved triumphs against all participants.

“People may think that this is an arrogant attitude -says Oberholzer-, but we believe it is the greatest rivalry in rugby. We have to specify the concept and then we can start talking about the commercial rights and transfer agreementsn”. New Zealanders and South Africans also say that this format would allow them talso raise the sporting levelto turn cachieve better economic performance via television rights. If the Rugby Championship finally disappears Australia and New Zealand’grant‘to Australia and Argentina a ‘test match’ before each of them.

World rugby thus gives another example of the real meaning of its structure and evolution: Argentina and Japan are the only countries – outside of a Italia that subsists in the Sixth Nations because the economic accounts are still coming out – that in the 21st century they have managed to join the elite group: the Japanese have not been able to get out of the competitive no man’s land, the Argentines look expelled from it despite their level and the current ‘purge’ reaches aua classic nation: Australiatriple world champion.

Bad times for those who fight for an international expansion of rugby and aspire to a different role than that of paying public… and that taking into account that with the current ‘closed’ structure just theFrench ‘Top 14’ is a profitable competitione outside of national team tournaments. Precisely the ‘Top 14’ attracts most of the best players in the world, so perhaps one of the objectives of this new ‘distribution’ between Australia and New Zealand could be rkeep talent in your territories in exchange for more remuneration.

And deep down awaits men’s ‘World League’, again with chosen participants and without promotions or relegations… Only in rugby female and in the Sevenpartly under the control of International Olympic Committeea little more ‘movement’ is allowed. The fact is that the rugby economic crisis It has arrived with the current ‘establishment’ system and there is no contemplation, it seems, of exploring other ‘systems’.