Six Nations: Nigel Owens doesn’t want South Africa joining of relegation play-offs

Revered former Test referee Nigel Owens has stated his desire for the Six Nations to maintain it’s status quo, declaring no wish to see South Africa join the tournament or any future relegation play-offs too.

As revealed exclusively by Sportsmail earlier this month, the Springboks were in talks to replace Italy in the Northern Hemisphere tournament in 2025 after committing to the Rugby Championship for the next three years.

Italy were reportedly unhappy with this development, and were expected to fight to retain their spot in the Six Nations, which they have participated in since 2000.

South Africa were looking to join the Six Nations from 2025 in a seismic move for rugby

Investors CVC were the driving force behind the idea after buying £365m stake in the competition, which was last won by Wales in 2021

Last year, CVC bought a one-seventh stake in the competition, in return for an investment of ‘up to £365million’.

It is understood that, behind the scenes, the private equity firm were acting as a driving force in promoting talks aimed at ensuring South Africa join the Six Nations. They were said to believe that significant commercial gains can be achieved only by fundamental upheaval and reform.

However, since these reports have emerged Six Nations organisers have distanced themselves from these reports – something welcomed by Owens who wants South Africa to remain part of the Rugby Championship in the Southern Hemisphere. 

‘The Six Nations is a pretty special tournament and its success is down to history, probably more so than anything than the occasion, and to the fans that’s what makes you it so special,’ he told Sportsmail exclusively.

‘People will travel up to Edinburgh, for example, and start saving up to travel up there again in two years’ time. The same with Dublin, London, Cardiff, Paris, and Rome.

The proposals saw the Springboks potentially replace Italy who haven’t won a Six Nations match since 2015

‘I think you have to look at the Rugby Championship as a competition and where the involvement of South Africa is hugely important to its continued sort of stature and success. If they joined the Six Nations it would take away from the tournament as the travelling for fans is not just really viable.

‘They need to look at is the whole global game and structure the season better. I’ve refereed both the Six Nations and the Rugby Championship and they’re both great tournaments and are successful due to their format.

‘The Six Nations is European tournament, that’s why it is so special. It’s not broken. So why do you need to try and tinker with it?

‘The Rugby Championship has evolved with the inclusion of Argentina there in recent years. You can develop that further by maybe adding a nation from the Pacific Islands as well as Japan. I think that is the way to grow the game.’

Owens, who was speaking to Sportsmail in conjunction with William Hill, added that despite Italy’s struggles in the Six Nations they are still a class above those nations who clamour for a play-off opportunity against them in the Six Nations.

Owens is against that idea calling the northern hemisphere showpiece simply a ‘European’ one

Georgia are often touted as the side most deserving of a spot in Europe’s elite competition at the expense of Italy, who haven’t won in the competition since emerging victorious at Scotland 2015, but Owens believes that they would only fare worse.

‘I don’t think anyone would be sort of in a position to beat Italy. Georgia had a decent side for a few years but they haven’t been as strong recently. From my experience, as a referee, they were really struggling,’ the 50-year-old – who refereed 100 Tests – said.

‘I think you need to looking at improving the second tier underneath the Six Nations so then maybe Georgia, Romania, Portugal and others could in future maybe compete and compete well in a play-off scenario.

‘I don’t think you can increase the Six Nations to seven or eight teams as there is too much rugby at the moment.

‘As I said earlier, you need to look at the global structure of the season. The Rugby Championship works very well, the Six Nations work very well. There’s no need to double up to change that at all because it is successful.

‘So, what you need to look at is how can you improve the autumn window, or the June and July windows. How can they restructure those, and how can include other countries in those to get opportunities? But the Six Nations, the Rugby World Cup, the Rugby Championship you do not interfere with.’

Owens doesn’t think the likes of Georgia would challenge Italy if they met in a play-off battle

Nigel Owens was speaking to Sportsmail in conjunction with William Hill.