SA Rugby president Mark Alexander has confirmed that SANZAAR is still actively considering the inclusion of Japan and Fiji in the Rugby Championship, with a phased approach through age-group rugby identified as the preferred entry point.
Speaking to The Australian ahead of an upcoming SANZAAR meeting, Alexander suggested the Under-20 competition as the initial vehicle, describing it as less logistically demanding than full senior integration. 'The stepping stone for us, for Japan and Fiji, is to include their under-20 teams in the age-group competition, which is less onerous,' he said. 'It's one trip to Africa currently because we've got an under-20s tournament for three years. And we play six teams in the competition, and that will be the start.'
Alexander acknowledged a senior Rugby Championship decision remains premature, noting he did not want to speak out of turn ahead of the governing body's scheduled discussions. Both nations had their 2026 expansion bids rejected following the 2023 Rugby World Cup, leaving the tournament unchanged since Argentina's addition in 2012.
Any permanent senior expansion faces a structural hurdle: the four existing Rugby Championship unions — South Africa, New Zealand, Argentina and Australia — are locked into a SANZAAR commitment through 2030, a framework confirmed in October last year that also incorporates the Rugby's Greatest Rivalry tour and a full Rugby Championship cycle in the lead-up to the 2027 World Cup.
Both Japan and Fiji are set to feature in the inaugural Nations Championship next month.