Tonight's rugby news as Super Rugby could collapse amid shock threat

Here are your rugby evening headlines for Thursday, June 16.

Rugby Australia have told New Zealand they are strongly considering pulling out of Super Rugby to pursue their own domestic competition.

Fox Sport report that RA chairman Hamish McLennan informed his New Zealand Rugby counterpart Stewart Mitchell over dinner of potential plans to walk away following the 2023 Super Rugby Pacific season. It is understood that Australia's governing body are unhappy with how South Africa and Argentina have already been cast aside, as well as NZR's own suggestion that just two Australian sides compete in Super Rugby Pacific.

Previously, television income was split equally between SANZAAR partners but that is no longer the case, with New Zealand being paid significantly more than Australia. As such, McLennan and RA board member Phil Waugh are understood to have told NZR at a dinner earlier this month that they're prepared to walk away.

“We’ll honour our commitments in ’23 but we need to see what’s best for rugby in Australia leading up to the Rugby World Cup in Australia in ’27,” McLennan told Fox Sports.

“All bets are off from ’24 onwards with NZ. The RA board doesn’t want to prejudice the PE/debt process with any competitions presented as a fait accompli. Some board members have strong opinions that a domestic only competition like the AFL and NRL would generate more money for the game and that is fair comment.”

South Africa coach Jacques Nienaber has warned that Wales will be facing a full-strength Springboks side this summer despite the inclusion of new caps in his squad.

Nienaber's 43-man squad includes eight uncapped players, but the likelihood remains that the 'Boks, who have changed very little in terms of personnel since