SA Rugby president Mark Alexander warns that administrators must finally agree on a global calendar or risk losing players to breakaway competitions.
Speaking ahead of key meetings involving World Rugby in Dublin, Alexander delivered a blunt message about the need to align the northern and southern hemisphere seasons.
“If we don’t do this, the game will die,” Alexander told The Australian.
His comments come as rugby continues to grapple with an increasingly congested schedule, growing player welfare concerns and the threat of lucrative rebel competitions entering the market.
One such project is the proposed R360 league, which targeted several leading southern hemisphere players before delaying its planned launch to 2028. While the competition remains some distance from becoming reality, its existence has heightened concerns among rugby’s powerbrokers.
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Alexander believes a global calendar would provide clear windows for club rugby, Test rugby and player rest periods.
“A global calendar is of utmost importance for rugby worldwide,” he said. “We need to have a dedicated window for club rugby, a dedicated window for international rugby, and we need to have a dedicated rest period. That’s about the survival of the game.”
The SA Rugby boss pointed to South Africa’s successful transition into the Vodacom URC after leaving Super Rugby in 2020.
Initially viewed as a major disruption, Alexander now believes the move has highlighted the benefits of playing rugby during warmer months.
“Before we were kicked out of Super Rugby, we never thought we would play rugby in summer,” he said. “Now we do because we moved north, and I must tell you, it was a good move for us. There’s no better time.”
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Alexander revealed that South African derby matches staged during December have attracted strong crowds, challenging the long-held belief that rugby should remain exclusively a winter sport.
His preferred solution would see the Rugby Championship moved into the same window as the Six Nations.
According to Alexander, that would reduce fixture congestion, create more rest periods and improve the quality of rugby on offer.
“Less is more,” he said. “Have quality rugby rather than having quantity.”
Photo: Grant Pitcher/Gallo Images
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SA Rugby president Mark Alexander warns that administrators must finally agree on a global calendar or risk losing players to breakaway competitions.
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