SuperSport rugby commentator and former Springbok hooker Owen Nkumane feels that all the remaining international matches for this year should be scrapped and that all international rugby should make a return next year, when the situation around the coronavirus will hopefully be much better and travelling will be a relatively safe thing to do again.
The game’s governing body, World Rugby, announced last week that a decision on whether the July test matches would go on as planned would be taken later in this month, although it is widely believed that they will be cancelled, as many countries around the world still struggle to contain the deadly virus. In South Africa, it was announced on Tuesday that the total number of infected people had risen to 1 749, while there were 13 who had died. The Springboks are scheduled to play three tests in the country in July – two against Scotland and one against Georgia – fresh from winning their third Rugby World Cup title in Japan in November last year.
The first of those tests, against the Scots on July 4, is set to be the last ever rugby match played at the iconic Newlands Stadium in Cape Town, with all international matches in Cape Town now set to be played at the Cape Town Stadium.
Nkumane says it’s disappointing to have to call off matches because of safety reasons, but says it would be the wise thing to do under these circumstances.
“When everything gets lifted, I think international travel will take a while to resume as we know it, so I don’t expect any internationals to take place. I know rugby people are just strange, they will hang on until maybe someone dies or something like that, but the reality is that we gotta focus on local [competitions], everywhere [in the world]. Because me, as a player, if you said to me now there’s a test match in New Zealand, I must go play, and then I’m thinking I’m gonna fly, go across time zones, I’m gonna meet people, gotta go to the airport – I won’t feel comfortable.
“There shouldn’t be [any matches], if there are then we would be forcing matters, let’s put it that way, because I don’t think players are gonna be comfortable. I don’t think people will be comfortable travelling around at the moment until things settle down, maybe go back to life as we know it, spend Christmas the way we’re used to, then we can recharge next year,” adds Nkumane.
The Soweto-born commentator also says the current situation also gives South African rugby the chance to work towards making the senior men’s national team even stronger.
“From a South African point of view, I think it gives us a chance to focus on the game locally, to strengthen here at home, make sure everything is streamlined to make sure the Springboks are successful at the end of the day.”
● Cover image: 2Oceansvibe.com.
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