Mark Alexander Sets July European Rugby Champions Cup Review

SA Rugby is weighing whether to keep its european rugby champions cup place, with a July workshop set to decide which competitions stay and which can go. The review lands as the union weighs income from tournaments against a squad burden that has stretched through much of the year.

Mark Alexander and July workshop

Mark Alexander said SA Rugby will hold a workshop in July to decide which competitions will be retained and which ones can be dropped. He added: "We generate our income from participating in tournaments. Participation is important, but our players are overworked," and then drew the line more sharply: "We have to find a balance so that our players can rest enough. They cannot play 11 months of the year."

Champions Cup pressure on South Africa

The Champions Cup is one of the competitions under review, and South African teams could pull the plug on their participation. South African sides entered the tournament after a season in the United Rugby Championship, but none went past the round of 16 this season.

That run fits a wider workload problem. South African teams now operate in both northern and southern hemisphere competitions, and some Test players are on the go all year without a proper pre-season. The Champions Cup has also been weakened by reduced-strength teams from France, England and the Republic, which dents its credibility and adds to the case for a rethink.

Calendar squeeze for SA Rugby

A longer-term fix has already been discussed: moving the Rugby Championship to February and March, in a format similar to the Six Nations. South Africa would favor that shift, and Rugby Australia was at one stage said to be on board, but New Zealand Rugby has so far refused to budge, leaving Super Rugby Pacific as the likely competition that would also need to move.

For now, the immediate decision sits with July’s workshop. South African clubs, and the players carrying them across two hemispheres, will know then whether the Champions Cup remains part of the path ahead or becomes one of the competitions cut from the schedule.