SA Rugby boss renews call for unified rugby calendar ahead of World Rugby meeting

Addressing the issue ahead of upcoming World Rugby meetings in Dublin, Alexander stressed the importance of aligning the northern and southern hemisphere seasons amid ongoing discussions about the future shape of the game.

Alexander said that a properly structured global calendar is of vital importance to create clearly defined windows for domestic leagues, international fixtures, and mandatory rest periods.

"If we don't do this, the game will die," Alexander told The Australian.

"A global calendar is of utmost importance for rugby worldwide. 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 highlighted South Africa's move into the Vodacom URC following their departure from Super Rugby in 2020 as a key example.

While the switch was initially seen as a significant disruption, Alexander now argues it has demonstrated the advantages of aligning rugby with the region's warmer playing conditions.

"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."

Alexander pointed to strong attendances at South African derby matches played in December as evidence that rugby does not need to be played only in winter.

He suggested that one possible solution would be to shift the Rugby Championship into the same window as the Six Nations, bringing the two major international competitions into alignment.

Such a change, he said, would help ease fixture congestion, allow players to get adequate rest and ultimately improve the overall standard of the game.

"Less is more," he said. "Have quality rugby rather than having quantity." 

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