Is this really about saving South African rugby?

South Africa is now the front-runner to host the 2023 Rugby World Cup. Yet its sport is in disarray because of missed deadlines and financial chaos

There was surprise when it was announced that South Africa had come out on top with the 2023 Rugby World Cup’s Technical Review Group. Hard luck Ireland and France, it seems - the nations voting will presumably follow the technical group and award RWC 2023 to South Africa.

But I suspect there was significant surprise in South Africa too, perhaps the greatest surprise within the government itself, considering that only 18 months ago, ...