South Africa's rugby boss Jurie Roux doesn't believe the Sanzaar partnership is ready to disintegrate as a result of New Zealand Rugby's immediate plans for the future.
Roux, the chief executive of SA Rugby told South African media on Tuesday that plans outlined by New Zealand rugby were about the 2021 season.
"To be fair to our New Zealand counterparts, they've consistently raised at our meetings the fact that given the travel restrictions of 2021, travel costs and the likelihood in the reduction of flights to New Zealand, there was every indication that neither South Africa nor Argentina would be able to enter New Zealand possibly up until the end of May outside of a quarantine process," he said.
That meant every franchise that travelled would have to be in New Zealand two weeks ahead of their usual time to go through quarantine, training for two weeks without playing a game, play the game and then have to go through a similar quarantine process when returning home.
"New Zealand has opted to play a domestic competition first before a possible crossover competition within the old Super Rugby format. That format is still being discussed by Sanzaar and there are different options on the table.
"I see we are being deemed as having been kicked out of Super Rugby. If anything, New Zealand kicked themselves out of it," he said.
Any changes to Super Rugby had to fit within the legal agreement all members have signed and would be the result of a joint decision among executives of each member.
"New Zealand has every right to determine its future, but in terms of Sanzaar's joint venture agreement, there is a very legal agreement in place and you have to act within it.
"If you are in breach of that joint venture agreement, you make yourself liable for legal action from the other parties.
"But we have always dealt with everything in a very constructive fashion at Sanzaar and we are still having discussions as to what 2021 will look like," Roux said.
South Africa was considering options available to it whenever it can return to the playing field. He did say that the only certain thing was that the rugby landscape would look considerably different in the future.
"The world of rugby is trying to get 2020 out of the way, that's probably the best way to describe it, either by finishing off competitions or beginning to look towards the 2020-21 season and what they will look like.
"If anyone thinks rugby, and particularly international and domestic rugby, will return to any format that's close to the format that existed at the end of 2019 and the start of 2020, you'd be making a big mistake and so would we," he said.
"The market has corrected itself, and that was due anyway.
"In terms of pay-TV and structures around broadcasting, and the way we consume rugby, a change was due, and we will undergo that change now due to Covid.
"Ultimately, we can't project what rugby will look like in years to come and to do that would be very bold and brave because the only thing you can be sure of is that there will be change. We're in flux," he said.