Former Springbok captain Jean de Villiers says the Rugby Championship must go ahead with South Africa involved.
At the same time, he said South Africa was between a rock and a hard place.
Taking part in the Championship would boost South Africa's coffers but the players who stood to benefit financially from that would have little time to regain their fitness in a domestic tournament ahead of travelling to Australia.
"Is there a better alternative at this point? I don't think so," he said in his SA Rugby magazine column.
"The Rugby Championship must go ahead – providing there are no safety concerns."
De Villiers said it would be a tough ask of the Springboks but he hoped South African fans would keep the unique circumstances of the Championship in mind.
"The Boks will go into that competition determined to win every game and to retain their title. They may not be in the same physical space as their Australian and New Zealand counterparts, though, who returned to action earlier.
"I'm not suggesting the Boks can't go abroad and win that tournament. But it's important to note that, given their late return to rugby, they are less well-placed to succeed than their Australasian counterparts.