Why struggling Wales 'have' to face Boks outside Test window
SPOTLIGHT: The Welsh Rugby Union clarified the reason why they’ll host the Springboks outside World Rugby’s Test window, despite the national team’s struggles.
The scheduling of this fixture has been in question due to the unavailability of players.
They’ve also lost 13 players who featured during the Nations Series, who will return to their domestic clubs outside of the country.
Former Scotland lock Jim Hamilton branded the fixture as “ridiculous”, while former Wales flyhalf Lee Jarvis called it “madness” for the game to be going ahead.
But it’s not all that simple. The fixture was arranged in 2020 under the previous regime of the WRU, according to the online publication WalesOnline.
There’s also the financial concern of supporters filling the seats, given the Welsh national side’s current state and the prospect of facing a ruthless South African side that will also be without a significant number of players but still boasts a formidable squad.
However, in a statement, the WRU justified why the fixture will go ahead.
“We will have welcomed almost a quarter-of-a-million supporters through Principality Stadium turnstiles, across the four consecutive weekends in November, which make up the Nations Series in Cardiff, when we host South Africa this weekend.
“From a performance perspective, challenging yourself against the very best sides in the world game boosts player and team development, and from a business point of view, the addition of a fourth international match in the series directly boosts resources available to invest directly back into rugby in Wales.
“We are hugely grateful to the hundreds of thousands of fans who have shown their support for our new head coach, Steve Tandy and his team as they build for the future.
“We have received much positive feedback about the greatly enhanced matchday experience in Cardiff this year and look forward to another special occasion when we face the world champion Springboks on Saturday, and expect another bumper crowd to join us.
“Fan attendance set again to exceed the average for the series for the fourth match in a row.”
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