Schalk Brits: How the Springboks have been impacted by South African clubs’ Super Rugby departure
Springboks stars Kwagga Smith, Grant Williams and Cobus Reinach celebrate a win while ex-Boks hooker Schalk Brits looks on (inset).
Former Springboks hooker Schalk Brits believes South African teams’ move away from Super Rugby has been beneficial for the Springboks and helped with their recent dominance at Test level.
Rugby union turned professional in 1995, and Super Rugby was launched the following year with the leading clubs from Australia, New Zealand and South Africa participating in the tournament.
It became a very successful competition which lasted for more than 20 years, with clubs from Argentina and Japan also allowed to participate during that period.
However, after the Covid-19 pandemic struck, which curtailed the 2020 Super Rugby tournament, it forced a rethink in New Zealand and Australia, with travel being notably impacted.
New Zealand Rugby decided to break away, establishing the domestic Super Rugby Aotearoa tournament, before they and Australia joined forces to set up Super Rugby Trans-Tasman and then Super Rugby Pacific.
That resulted in South African sides being forced to go their own way with their four leading franchises – the Bulls, Lions, Sharks and Stormers – joining the United Rugby Championship (URC).
Springboks dominating international rugby
Under the guidance of their head coach Rassie Erasmus, the Springboks have won back-to-back Rugby World Cups in Japan (2019) and France (2023), while also clinching a 2-1 series victory over the British & Irish Lions in South Africa in 2021 and they were also crowned Rugby Championship winners in 2024 and 2025.
After this year’s successful Rugby Championship campaign, the Boks have continued to dominate the global game during their current Quilter Nations Series Tests and have already clinched impressive victories over Japan (in London), France (in Paris), Italy (in Turin), and Ireland in Dublin.
They are set to take on Wales in their final Test of the year in Cardiff on Saturday and will be determined to finish their campaign on a high.
During their 2025 Test campaign, the Boks have displayed excellent depth in their ranks, and many rugby enthusiasts have said Erasmus could field two near-world-class teams.
The impact of South African clubs’ Super Rugby exit
Brits, who played most of his club rugby in the northern hemisphere with Premiership outfit Saracens, is obviously delighted with his country’s current success in the international arena and explained that the departure of South African teams from Super Rugby to the North has helped the Springboks.
“I think there are a couple of things we have to be thankful for,” he told CoinPoker. When we moved away from Super Rugby… although New Zealand and Australia were quite dominant in that competition, and we had stages of dominance, moving away played a vital part in our growth.
“Although Super Rugby is very exciting, it doesn’t always prepare you best for Test match rugby.
“Then, consider that we are now playing in the North and getting used to those conditions. We’re playing more in the Investec Champions Cup and the URC. That has prepped us to play a better, more set-piece-orientated game, which is crucial for Test matches and the fine margins involved.
“From my personal experience, I could not believe the impact of a knock-on or an error in your own half up there. Especially if it’s wet and cold and you can’t kick the ball as far, it takes you ages to get out of your own half.
“So, I think the adaptation of moving South to South – rather than West to East – the exposure we get during the Champions Cup has actually played perfectly into our hands.”