Wallabies legend George Gregan has criticised the decision to shelve the Rugby Championship next year to make way for the Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry tour.
The All Blacks tour of South Africa in August and September 2026 includes four matches against local franchises and a four-Test series against the Springboks, with three in South Africa and one at an overseas venue.
As a result, the Rugby Championship will only be played again in 2027 ahead of the World Cup in Australia.
Gregan, who has been an outspoken supporter of the southern hemisphere competition, said the break comes at the worst possible time after the tournament delivered one of its most thrilling editions yet.
“The Rugby Championship is now the southern hemisphere’s Six Nations,” said the former Wallabies captain. “It’s taken a long time to get there and, after such a great tournament this year, it would be good to keep the continuity going.”
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He questioned the logic behind putting the tournament on hold so that New Zealand and South Africa could stage an old-school tour.
“No one had a crystal ball to know how good the 2025 edition would be when they made the decision to put this old-school tour together,” Gregan said. “But you need to remember the importance of the Rugby Championship. It’s been very, very good for everyone. Look what it’s done for Argentina since its inception in 2012 – how far they’ve come is unbelievable.”
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Gregan argued that there were other options that wouldn’t have required cancelling the tournament.
“My question is: can you imagine the Six Nations being postponed a year because England want to play France instead?” he said. “New Zealand and South Africa could potentially have done it simultaneously.
“For years we had the Tri-Nations going and we’d still contest the Mandela Cup. We might play the Boks three times. We might play three Bledisloes against New Zealand.
“So they could do that, maybe take a fourth Test to the UK and make it financially viable for both teams. There are loads of South African and Kiwi fans over here. You’d still maintain the competition.”
Photo: David Rogers/Getty Images
The post Gregan slams Rugby Champs break appeared first on SA Rugby magazine.
Wallabies legend George Gregan has criticised the decision to shelve the Rugby Championship next year to make way for the Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry tour.
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