New All Blacks coach Ian Foster has stressed how vital it is to keep the Springboks in the Rugby Championship after reports surfaced over the weekend the world champions were set to join an extended Six Nations competition.
Reports from the UK suggested the Springboks would join the northern hemisphere competition after 2023, meaning the All Blacks would see much less of their greatest rivals yearly.
Foster told Newstalk ZB his initial reaction was thank goodness it was written in an English newspaper because he does not believe most of that stuff.
Foster says there has been a little bit of smoke around this for a while – the reality is their board has to make sure it has a strong relationship with South Africa and is talking, which he knows they have been.
Foster said a season where the All Blacks don't play the Springboks would be extremely disappointing.
