Clive Woodward: It would be 'brainless' to put Springboks in Six Nations

Sanzaar, the governing body of southern hemisphere rugby, confirmed on Wednesday that the Springboks would continue playing in the Rugby Championship until 2025.

However, reports have surfaced that the Boks could join the Six Nations after 2025.

South Africa's four top franchises - Bulls, Lions, Sharks and Stomers - already ply their trade in the northern hemisphere's United Rugby Championship.

The Daily Mail reported on Thursday that the reigning world champions were set to displace perennial wooden spoonists Italy in the competition that comprises England, Scotland, Wales, France and Ireland.

Woodward, though, has slammed the idea in a Daily Mail column titled 'It would be BRAINLESS to parachute South Africa into the Six Nations'.

"It would be hard to think of a more ill-conceived, muddle-headed idea than South Africa being randomly parachuted into the Six Nations," Woodward wrote.

"It would leave Italy - and other aspiring European nations - banished to the wilderness. I shake my head yet again at rugby’s total inability to manage its affairs properly and promote growth and development."

The Italians are on a 34-match losing streak in the Six Nations since their last victory against Scotland at Murrayfield in 2015.

But Woodward added that he found the reasoning behind a possible South Africa move hard to fathom.

"All sorts of other thoughts come to mind. Are South Africa really prepared to ditch New Zealand and Australia - and indeed Argentina? Nobody has helped Pumas rugby more than South Africa. Doesn’t that old friendship count for something? I will be absolutely staggered if such a split didn’t cause huge, needless repercussions worldwide.

"And why now? The Springboks have the potential of a six-team tournament, including