⁍ World champions South Africa will not take part in the Rugby Championship.
⁍ The tournament was already delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic.
⁍ The championship will now consist of six tests in Australia.
– World champions South Africa will not take part in the Rugby Championship, leaving the southern hemisphere championship greatly diminished 16 days before its scheduled start. The annual test tournament also featuring New Zealand, Australia, and Argentina was already delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic and is being staged in one country for the first time. “Naturally, it is extremely disappointing that the Springboks, due to the continued complexities of operating in and around this COVID environment, cannot fully compete in the previously planned six-round Rugby Championship,” SANZAAR chief executive Andy Marinos said in a statement, per Reuters. The championship will now consist of six tests in Australia, starting with the third Bledisloe Cup clash between the hosts and New Zealand in Sydney on Oct. 31.
Source: https://www.reuters.com/article/rugby-union-championship-int/south-africa-withdraw-from-rugby-championship-sanzaar-idUSKBN271036