South Africa joining Six Nations 'inevitable'

The Springboks currently compete in the Rugby Championship with New Zealand, Australia and Argentina, but Nigel Wray reckons their natural home is with the Northern Hemisphere teams.

Wray says there is no doubt the move will happen because South Africa are in a corresponding time zone as the European sides.

South Africa are one hour ahead of Ireland and the British sides and in the same time zone as France and Italy.

"Clearly, sooner or later, South Africa will play with France, England, Ireland etc. because we are in the same time zone," Wray is quoted as saying in the Daily Telegraph.

"At the moment, South Africa have to tramp over to a completely different time zone, which takes a long time to get accustomed to.

"They play their games at the wrong time of day, at breakfast time, which is the worst TV time.

"I don't know when, but it is inevitable the game will go like that. It's just so logical."

Wray said the current situation was "completely stark, staring bonkers," although he did admit that it would leave Australia and New Zealand in a quandary.

"It's a problem for rugby, because that implies New Zealand and Australia will have to move towards Japan and Hong Kong to play in the same time zone, at the optimum television time.

"Whether you like it or not, TV is the master."

What we know as the Six Nations Champions began life as the Home Nations Championship in 1883.

France joined the competition in 1910 making it a Five Nations Championship (although they were out of the tournament for most of the 30s and 40s).

Italy then became the tournaments sixth team in 2000 and the competition has remained unchanged since then.