Former Springbok hooker Schalk Brits says from a commercial perspective it would ‘just work’ for South African rugby teams to head north and play in competitions with a similar time zone.
Appearing as a special guest in episode 12 of the ‘Rugby-Wrap Up’ talk show, Brits spoke about a range of topics, including the impact of Springboks’ 2019 World Cup success, global rugby calendar concerns and South Africa’s widely touted breakaway from Vodacom Super Rugby that will potentially allow its franchises to join an expanded Pro Rugby competition.
On the subject of where South African rugby’s future lies, the World Cup-winning hooker says logistically and commercially it makes sense to switch allegiance to the northern hemisphere.
‘I’ve always said it makes sense for South Africa to go north, never east or west. From a travelling perspective [in Super Rugby and the Rugby Championship], the jet-lag is horrendous and it just doesn’t make sense,’ he said.
‘To have a season where you’ve got the South African boys against the northern hemisphere, from a commercial perspective it just works. We’ve already got the Cheetahs and Kings in the north now, so hopefully one day that [bringing other local team to Europe] will work.
‘Now with Covid-19, you can reset everything. I’ve always said you have to have one global season, it doesn’t help to play half the year in the southern hemisphere and the other half in the northern hemisphere. You have to have a combined season where everyone plays at the same time.’
Watch the whole episode here:
Photo: Dan Mullan/Getty Images
