In the very near future, the Springboks might play in a high-profile north against south final every two years.
Starting in 2026, teams from the northern hemisphere will face three opponents from the southern hemisphere away from home during the July window, and vice versa for the November matches. The top two teams from each pool would compete against one another in a grand final that would resemble a miniature “World Cup final,” with the remaining teams competing in ranking playoff games.
Every team will play each other once every two years through a rotation of fixtures. If adopted, this strategy would put a stop to the long-running rumours that the Springboks will soon join an expanded Six Nations.
The Daily Telegraph reported that World Rugby is close to finalising a significant overhaul of the Test rugby schedule, which may be implemented starting in 2026. The Springboks will undoubtedly pay attention to the plan, which is in the final stages of approval.
Under the revised plan, Test rugby would be played in two groups of six teams each from each hemisphere. The current Six Nations nations would be in the northern group, and the Rugby Championship countries in the southern group would be joined by Japan and Fiji.