South Africa are set to replace Italy in the Six Nations from 2025 in format shakeup
Sport

South Africa are set to replace Italy in the Six Nations from 2025 in format shakeup

FRESH REPORTS have emerged today claiming that Southern Hemisphere side and World Cup holders South Africa are ready to replace Italy in the Six Nations in 2025. 

The Books pledged their allegiance to the Rugby Championship until 2025, where they play New Zealand and Australia every year on Wednesday afternoon.

But reports from several outlets have refuted that claim and are now claiming that South Africa are to set to join the other format in 2025.

The Guardian for example mentions that the Six Nations insisted its focus remains on revamping the July and November Test windows with key talks to take place next month. Those discussions could result in a new‑look world competition to be held every two years from 2024.

The world champions have slowly been aligning themselves with northern hemisphere rugby: their franchise teams — the Bulls, Sharks, Stormers and Lions — joined the United Rugby Championship this season, which also features teams from Ireland, Scotland, Italy and Wales/

Italy have become the whipping boys of the tournament for many years and talk of teams going up and down started to emerge with the likes of Georgia replacing them.

Former Wales captain spoke about previously about it and said;

“If Italy come bottom [again] and Georgia win, at the next international window Georgia should travel to Italy, so [Italy] still get home advantage, but then you have a playoff game to get into the Six Nations."

The plans for South Africa to enter the Six Nations are said to be backed by CVC, the private equity firm who have bought a £365million stake in the Six Nations and the United Rugby Championship. They see the monumental shift as a financial benefit

Brendan Morris, the Chief Executive of the  National Rugby Unions of South Africa, New Zealand and Australia (Sanzaar) said that plans had been put on the table before Christmas

“South Africa did put us on notice they were exploring their options – that was well before Christmas,

“We’ve got a number of international and local broadcast deals that are extended to 2025. There was never any cause for alarm that we were never going to meet those obligations."

Six Nations chief executive Ben Morel says he is “extremely cautious” about expansion, but CVC are said to feel South African involvement would bring enormous commercial gains and make an already legendary tournament even greater.