South Africa prepared to host Rugby Championship after COVID disruption

By Sports Desk August 20, 2021

SA Rugby has offered to host the remainder of the 2021 Rugby Championship after coronavirus cases in New Zealand saw three All Blacks Tests called off.

With travel and quarantine restrictions tightened in New Zealand, it was announced the national team's matches against the Springboks in Auckland and Dunedin had been cancelled.

The All Blacks also will not travel to Perth for their third Bledisloe Cup clash against Australia – a decision their SANZAAR rivals said they only learned of through the media.

These developments have left Rugby Championship plans in tatters after just a single round of matches.

The tournament was replaced by the Tri-Nations in 2020 when South Africa withdrew. This time, SA Rugby is able to provide a potential solution, confirming in a statement its offer to SANZAAR.

"We have advised SANZAAR that we are ready and able to host the remainder of the competition in South Africa, pending our government's approval," said CEO Jurie Roux.

"But we are now well-versed in turning on rugby Tests within the prevailing COVID restrictions and have the venues and accommodation necessary. We just need the go-ahead."

The Springboks are still set to face Argentina, as scheduled, in Port Elizabeth on Saturday, although the two teams will not then fly out to Australia as they await an announcement on the rescheduling of the tournament.

South Africa has already this year hosted a British and Irish Lions tour, which the Springboks won 2-1.

Related items

  • Paris Olympics: Home hero Dupont sends France into rugby sevens semi-finals Paris Olympics: Home hero Dupont sends France into rugby sevens semi-finals

    Antoine Dupont sealed hosts France's progression to the rugby sevens semi-finals as his late try clinched victory over Argentina at the Paris Olympics.

    Dupont, voted the 2021 World Player of the Year, missed out on this year's Six Nations to prepare himself for the sevens at the Games.

    And he scored a brilliant solo try in the dying seconds at a jam-packed Stade de France to wrap up a 26-14 triumph over Argentina on Thursday.

    Aaron Grandidier had earlier crossed the line twice along with back-rower Andy Timo's opener in a dominant first half, though Argentina fought back after the break.

    Rodrigo Isgro responded for Los Pumas before Marcos Moneta sneaked over after France were reduced to six when Jordan Sepho was sin-binned.

    Yet home favourite Dupont stepped up in the decisive moment, whipping the crowd into frenzy after setting up a last-four meeting against South Africa, who overcame New Zealand in the quarter-finals.

    South Africa finished third in Pool A as New Zealand topped the group, but the Springboks exacted revenge against the All Blacks to secure a semi-final berth.

    The Springboks raced into a two-try lead before holding out for a 14-7 victory to stun one of the pre-tournament favourites.

    Fiji, champions in 2016 when the event was first introduced and four years later in Tokyo, unexpectedly found themselves up against it as Chay Mullins bundled over twice to snatch a 10-7 lead for Ireland at half-time.

    Zac Ward extended the Irish lead but two tries in less than 30 seconds from Selestino Ravutaumada and Terio Tamani snatched a 19-15 turnaround.

    The two-time Olympic champions will meet Australia after the Wallabies downed the United States with ease.

    Corey Toole and James Turner both crossed in the first half en route to a convincing 18-0 triumph in the final match of the day, sending Australia into their first rugby sevens semi-final at the Olympics.

  • 'A scandal' - Mascherano fumes following Argentina's controversial defeat at Paris Olympics 'A scandal' - Mascherano fumes following Argentina's controversial defeat at Paris Olympics

    Javier Mascherano labelled Argentina's controversial defeat to Morocco as "a scandal" in their opening game at the Paris Olympics. 

    Argentina looked to have rescued a point having come from two goals down when Cristian Medina headed home in the 16th minute of second half injury-time. 

    However, crowd trouble in the Stade Geoffroy-Guichard halted proceedings, with referee Glenn Nyberg taking both sets of players off the pitch. 

    The game was subsequently suspended for nearly two hours and once it resumed, the controversy and confusion continued. 

    Following a VAR review, Bruno Amione was adjudged to have been in an offside position in the build-up to the potential equaliser as Morocco's advantage was reinstated.

    The remaining three minutes of the contest played out in front of an empty stadium, with Tarik Sektioui's side able to hold on for an unlikely triumph. 

    The game finished more than four hours after it started, leaving Mascherano furious at full-time, describing the outcome as not befitting an event as prestigious as the Olympics.

    “The match was suspended for security and safety,” Mascherano began. “At no moment did we talk about the review. The official Olympic page put the match at 2-2.

    “The match was suspended for security. At no moment did we talk about the review. Then after we were not told anything new, we started to hear things.

    “The referee never came, he never gave us an explanation.”

    He added: “We turn the page and stay with the positive things from the team in the second half and look for the two wins we’re going to need.

    “What happened on the pitch was a scandal. This isn’t a neighbourhood tournament, this is the Olympic Games.

    “How are they going to stop the match seven times in the second half because someone comes onto the pitch?

    “The second and third time you have to take a decision. Seven times people came onto the pitch.”

    Lionel Messi, who won gold for La Albiceleste in Beijing in 2008, also shared his frustrations with his former Barcelona team-mate. 

    The 37-year-old kept it to the point, posting “Insolito” on his Instagram story, which translates to “unbelievable".

    Argentina face Iraq in their next game in Lyon on Saturday, concluding their group campaign against Ukraine on July 30. 

  • Argentina 1-2 Morocco: Crowd trouble causes two-hour delay as Atlas Lions hang on Argentina 1-2 Morocco: Crowd trouble causes two-hour delay as Atlas Lions hang on

    Morocco upset Argentina for a 2-1 victory in the teams' opening match at the Olympic Games, with the contest ending in chaotic fashion after a two-hour delay caused by crowd trouble.

    Morocco were on course for victory when Al Ain striker Soufiane Rahimi scored twice in a five-minute spell either side of half-time, before Giuliano Simeone halved the arrears for Argentina.

    Cristian Medina appeared to have equalised deep into stoppage time, but crowd trouble caused referee Glenn Nyberg to take the teams off the pitch before a VAR review could take place.

    It was ruled that Bruno Amione was offside in the build-up, and with the goal chalked off, the teams returned to play three further minutes in an empty stadium two hours later, Morocco holding on for a memorable win.

    Morocco inched ahead two minutes into first-half stoppage time, Ilias Akhomach bamboozling the Argentina defence with a wonderful backheel that allowed Bilal El Khannouss to cross for Rahimi to tap home.

    Within four minutes of the restart, Morocco had a chance to double their lead as the tricky Akhomach was pushed inside the area by Julio Soler. Rahimi stepped up to the spot and made no mistake, stroking his kick into the bottom-left corner.

    Javier Mascherano's team dragged themselves back into the contest with 22 minutes to play, though, as Soler's cross-shot was prodded in by the stretching substitute Simeone.

    It looked like Argentina had levelled 16 minutes into stoppage time as both Amione and Nicolas Otamendi struck the crossbar before Medina nodded home from almost on the goal line.

    However, some spectators then threw cups, bottles and pyrotechnics at the celebrating Argentina players, causing the teams to leave the field for almost two hours as fans were told to leave the stadium.

    With a VAR review ruling Amione was offside in the build-up to Medina's header, the game restarted at 2-1 to Morocco and the Atlas Lions clung on for a huge win.

© 2023 SportsMaxTV All Rights Reserved.