Six Nations organisers have confirmed they are "not entertaining any discussion nor developing any plans" to add a new team to Europe's premier rugby tournament.
The announcement comes following a rise in reports that South Africa could replace Italy in the northern-hemisphere tournament when their Rugby Championship contract expires in 2025.
South Africa—the reigning world champions—currently compete alongside Australia , Argentina and New Zealand in the southern-hemisphere competition but are said to be open to leaving.
However, authorities governing the Six Nations have moved to put an end to speculation after releasing a statement on Friday, appearing to rule out out any such change in the foreseeable future.
"Six Nations Rugby, comprising the six Unions and Federations and CVC, wish to confirm that they are not entertaining any discussion nor developing any plans to add or replace any participating Union," the announcement read.
"All its energy is focused on the current strategic regarding the July and November internationals windows and structure of the global season, and to ensure a positive outcome for the development of the game."
The tournament was initially founded in 1883 as a Home Nations competition between England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland before France to make it the Five Nations in 1910 (though they later left and rejoined).
Italy then came in to form an expanded Six Nations in 2000, but the Azzurri have spent much of their participation as whipping boys and look set for a seventh successive Wooden Spoon finish this year.
The Springboks were a founding member of the Tri Nations in 1996, though the southern-hemisphere competition was also expanded to include Argentina's Pumas in 2012.
Efforts to include South Africa's national team in a northern-hemisphere contest are boosted by the fact their clubs currently compete in the United Rugby Championship against teams from Wales, Ireland, Scotland and Italy.
Those outfits—the Sharks, Stormers, Lions and Bulls—will also be eligible to participate in Europe's Champions Cup and Challenge Cup from next season, strengthening their Six Nations bid further.
But amid a backlash from fans, pundits and former players, it appears the current Six Nations set-up will be preserved for the foreseeable future.
England's 2003 World Cup-winning coach, Sir Clive Woodward, called the proposal to replace Italy "brainless" and criticised the sport's increasing demand to produce profit above all else.
"It would be hard to think of a more ill-conceived muddle-headed idea than South Africa being randomly parachuted into the Six Nations," he wrote for the Daily Mail.
"It would leave Italy — and other aspiring European nations — banished to the wilderness. I shake my head yet again at rugby’s total inability to manage its affairs properly and promote growth and development."
Woodward also referenced the influence of private equity form CVC Capital Partners, who bought a 14 per cent Six Nations stake last year and are attempting to boost the tournament's worldwide appeal.
Adding the current world champions to that concoction would certainly improve the level of competition, but many fans have been united in their belief this shouldn't come at Italy's expense.
The possibility of a tournament play-off involving the last-place finisher in the Six Nations and the winner of the Rugby Europe Championship—involving teams like Georgia, Portugal and Spain—has also been touted.
On the other side of the equator, Fiji and Japan have been reported as potential additions to the Rugby Championship if the southern-hemisphere contest were to bolster its ranks.
