SA Rugby 'no comment' on NZ reports that Boks out of Rugby Championship

SA Rugby says it won't comment on whether the Springboks have withdrawn from the Rugby Championship until they have been notified by Sanzaar.

The NZ Herald reported on Thursday that the Springboks‚ who are the reigning Rugby World Cup champions‚ won’t be taking part in the Rugby Championship that is supposed to start on October 31 in Australia. The newspaper reported that Australia and New Zealand are expected to make the announcement on Friday.

Should the Springboks’ withdrawal be confirmed‚ that means the fixtures won’t just be rejigged but it could mean the Boks may go through 2020 without playing a Test match.

In the statement‚ SA Rugby was firm in its stance that it will only have a say once communication is done through the official Sanzaar channels.

“SA Rugby would make no comment on the reports until Sanzaar had updated all stakeholders through official channels‚ which was expected to be on October 16‚” the statement said.

On Tuesday‚ Sanzaar announced that SA Rugby had been given a 48-hour extension with regards to making a decision on Rugby Championship participation.