Rugby Six Nations 2020

Ormiston_Addick said:

stonemuse said:

“SOUTH AFRICA could join the Six Nations after the 2023 World Cup in a stunning move which would change the shape of international rugby. Springboks chiefs are reportedly in negotiations with rugby chiefs and could move into the northern hemisphere tournament from the start of the 2024 season.”

Not sure about this 

There is a bigger picture afoot here, the TV revenues are drying up for SANZAR with the rise of streaming services driving a stake through the heart of their biggest backer - a certain Mr Rupert Murdoch.

Foxtel in Australia and Sky NZ are both bang in trouble and can't pay what they used to pay for the rights so the Saffers (the poorest of those three markets) need to hedge their bets and look for new $$$ - it always comes down to money in the end.

If they went then that would leave NZ + Australia + Argentina in an unsustainable competition - unless the Saffers got real greedy and tried to play in both competitions which I would not rule out.

there was talk a while back of one global tournament every year, the big euro five, plus Oz, NZ, SA .. it was nixed of course because of the ridiculous logistics it would require and what would be the point of a world cup, even though the autumn internationals in Europe nearly always include two or three of the southern hemisphere nations ?.
 Let alone SA, Australian RU is struggling for a lack of players, hence the influx of pacific islanders as in NZ.
 After every world cup there is a wholesale player defection from the south to Euro clubs. Look at any English prem team, every season there are more and more (especially) SAs and islanders in their squads. 
Argentina is another case in point, but not necessarily for discussion here. 

LenGlover said:

Lincsaddick said:

A distant memory from my youth R I P
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/51546174

I remember that try too.

Andy Hancock played for Sidcup RFC for a while back in the day.

RIP

back in the days when Sidcup and Westcombe Park were making a bit for the top echelons .. just think, a Nigel Wray type investment and Sidcup could now be in the Prem ((:>)

stonemuse said:

paulie8290 said:

Italy v Ireland officially called off over Coronavirus concerns 

I believe it’s only been postponed for now.  

Trouble is I can see this situation lasting for a long time. Anyway, good to see that England now have the measure of the Irish after far too long allowing the heathens to bully and beat us. Now we want to give the faltering Welsh a right good hiding. 
Youngs being dropped for one game has done him the world of good, he had his best game for a long time on Sunday.

IF the game goes ahead it looks like being England A v England B .. the game was only arranged as a warm up for the restart of the 6 nations, and fair enough, but Sky should get their money back as this game (if played) will not be as advertised. Year by year the Barbarians label becomes more and more irrelevant i m o. A harking back to the amateur days when Rugby Union was a very different game and players were much freer to choose when and where they played.