South Africa have committed to playing in the Southern Hemisphere, for the short term at least, announcing the Springboks would remain as part of the Rugby Championship until 2025.
Speculation had been rife that South Africa would opt to break away from the Rugby Championship and SANZAAR, in order to join Europe's elite as part of an expanded Six Nations tournament.
At club level, South Africa had been excluded from the new Super Rugby format in 2021, with their four club sides instead joining Europe's new United Rugby Championship, while New Zealand and Australia's sides joined together for Super Rugby Trans-Tasman, and now Super Rugby Pacific.
But on Wednesday (NZ time), SANZAAR announced that all four members had committed to the union through until 2025, with South Africa joining New Zealand, Australia and Argentina.
"The pandemic has created a very unusual sporting environment over the last two years with match and commercial delivery severely affected," says SANZAAR chairman Marcelo Rodriguez.
"This has seen the member unions work very hard to keep rugby alive and present during COVID and at times this has not been easy.
"Indeed, there has been much speculation about the future but it is now great that all members have committed through until the end of 2025 as a minimum.
"This means we can concentrate on ensuring The Rugby Championship remains as one of the best rugby tournaments on the world calendar."
SANZAAR is also committed to seeing the 2022 Rugby Championship return to being held across its four member nations, after the past two years' editions were held completely in Australia.
The 2022 Rugby Championship schedule is yet to be announced, but the All Blacks will travel to South Africa for tests on August 6 and 13 in Nelspruit and Johannesburg respectively.