Springboks legend Bryan Habana says the glory days of Super Rugby appear to be gone but has argued against South Africa splitting from the southern hemisphere competition.
Habana said he was grateful to have played in the competition when it was “strength vs strength” but admitted those days were probably over as players increasingly moving to play overseas.
There has already been a change signalled for the 2021 Super Rugby season, with the Sunwolves axed from the competition after the JRFU refused to fund the team going forward.
That changes means Super Rugby will be back to a round robin format with each team playing once but fewer home matches for teams overall.
Rugby Australia’s board is hoping to finalise a broadcast deal locally by the end of March but the actual look of Super Rugby long-term is unclear.
There has been much speculation in recent seasons about the potential of South Africa turning its attention to Europe and Australia and New Zealand playing a trans-Tasman competition.
Supporters of that argue that timezones and travel would be more favourable in that format, though it doesn’t account for Argentina’s Jaguares.
Already two South African teams - the Kings and Cheetahs - play in the European Pro14 competition, but the remaining four franchises are tied to Super Rugby.
Habana dismissed the idea of South Africa’s sides moving entirely to a European tournament.
“Logistically, I'm not quite sure how moving to Europe would work,” he said.
“I was fortunate enough to have started my career out in the strength vs strength Super Rugby format and I absolutely loved it.
“I fully understood the change towards the end of my career but for me as a player getting to play against the best teams in the Southern Hemisphere week in, week out was an unbelievable thrill.
“Probably now TV wise that's not possible anymore... it's potentially unrealistic to know what the future is.
“My personal view is I think New Zealand, South Africa and Australia all need each other. If you're going to have a Southern Hemisphere competition, it's going to be a bit weird (without one).
“I also know that a four-week tour to Australia and New Zealand is extremely tough and is it disadvantageous or not, it's difficult to say.”
Habana said it was “sad” to see some of the elements of Super Rugby that made it successful early on change but qualified that with the need to expand the game around the world.
“The fact is we were fortunate enough to have...(been) getting that Super Rugby exposure at the time when it was Super Rugby at its core, you played every team once and if you weren't good enough, you weren't good enough, and if you were good enough you felt you were the best team in the Southern Hemisphere.
“The excitement of Super Rugby when it was strength vs strength was something fans and players really enjoyed but you need to understand that the game has to grow and certain decisions need to be made to try and made to try and improve it.
“One can now with hindsight, which is the best vision, look back and say it hasn't worked but no one thought it would not work it which is really interesting.
“‘Fifteen years ago, the thoughts of having a Japanese and Argentinian side in Super Ruby would've been unheard of.
“All of a sudden both those teams are fully deserving of being there.
“I don't quite know how to justify strength vs strength but I'm very grateful that I got to play in that era.”
Whatever the future holds for South Africa in Super Rugby, Habana has hope that last year's World Cup win will spark a new era of consistency in South African Test rugby.
"Having heard Rassie Erasmus speak at the RWC and seeing the succession plan that has now been put into place with Jacques Nienaber becoming the coach, that's continuity that actually hasn't happened in any era preceding this," he said.
"Every World Cup, we lost a Jake White in 2007, you lost Peter de Villiers, you lost Heyneke Meyer, started anew.
"Now there's been a bit of a succession plan in terms of that and that will hopefully create a bit more stability in the Springboks.
"t's really exciting and I think for us as South Africans it's exciting because there is now a bit more of a succession plan in Jacques Nienaber and a lot of the coaching staff that were involved in last year's World Cup is still there was in the previous years we just haven't had that."
Bryan Habana is appearing at the Sydney 7s as an HSBC ambassador.
