Newly appointed Springboks head coach Jacques Nienaber and South African Rugby Director Rassie Erasmus in Pretoria on January 24, 2020.
"It seems impossible that the Springboks won’t play a test match in 2020, but public health and safety have been the primary concern and we have been hit by collateral damage like so many businesses," SARU Chief Executive Jurie Roux said. Australia and New Zealand completed domestic tournaments weeks ago and launched their test season over the weekend.
"A bit more notice would have been welcome, there’s no doubt about that. But I know how difficult these things are." Last month, SARU voted to pull its four major franchises from Super Rugby, the southern hemisphere's provincial competition, and explore expanding their presence in the European PRO14."This isn’t a normal year," he said. "South Africa has expressed overtly its commitment to the TRC into the future."
Wallabies coach Dave Rennie said the Springboks' absence was disappointing for the competition and for his players.