Since South African rugby’s decision to ditch Super Rugby and join competitions in the northern hemisphere, the reaction has been mixed.
The shift to the United Rugby Championship (URC) has generally been well received, with some thrilling matches. However, the Champions Cup, an elite competition, has not always delivered the expected contests. This is partly due to overlapping competitions, a gruelling travel schedule and heavy player workloads.
It’s now being reported that SA Rugby is likely to withdraw teams from the Champions Cup and the lower-tier Challenge Cup. South African teams have struggled to make an impact in the competition, often sending weakened teams, and it hasn’t worked out as planned. The competition can be found at competition.
SA Rugby Reassesses Its Commitments
Mark Alexander, the president of SA Rugby, recently addressed the media and hinted at significant changes. He mentioned that they had a meeting two months prior and discussed the global calendar for the 14th time. Alexander expressed frustration that despite everyone agreeing that something needs to change, no progress has been made.
Alexander stated, “We had a meeting two months ago, and we’ve had this (global calendar) discussion for the last 14 years. Every time, the same things get put on the table. The problem is, if you go with a blank sheet of paper, and everyone agrees that something must give, and everyone gives something… from there, you can find a common calendar for club rugby and international rugby.”
Alexander emphasized the importance of protecting players, saying, “The players are our most important asset, but we’re burning them out.” He added that SA Rugby needs to decide which tournaments to participate in to give players some downtime.
SA Rugby’s Financials and Future Plans
SA Rugby spent a quarter of its total income on national teams, including the Springboks, in 2025. The organisation’s group revenues increased by 29% from R1.5bn in 2024 to R2bn in 2025, with R500m spent directly on the Springboks (R281m) and the High-Performance Department (R221m).
SA Rugby’s financial sustainability remains a challenge, but they believe they are building strong foundations to meet these challenges. The organisation has reset its business to build a platform for the medium and long term, focusing on event delivery, digitization, commercialization, high performance, and participation and development.
