One may forgive themselves for becoming distracted by the numerous and complex attempts to commercialize global audiences between the Club World Cup and the concept of the Nations Championship in Test rugby.

Rugby is a massive industry, and it is becoming more and more dependent on large financial contributions to sustain professional teams and national unions.

Therefore, in the upcoming years, it will be necessary to dress up both domestic and international championships in their finest Sunday gowns and hope that the transformation would compel rival broadcasters to offer an emperor-sized sum.

New Zealand and South Africa’s back-to-the-future touring concept sits against this profit-driven backdrop, along with the goal to enhance rugby as an entertainment product by increasing game speed and reducing dead time.

The idea of a once-cherished tour maybe returning full circle stands in stark contrast to the relentless pursuit of innovative ideas in a rugby world that is struggling to reinvent itself in order to survive.

The idea of contemporary tours serves as a timely reminder that custom and seemingly outmoded themes cannot be abandoned, just as fashion, footwear, and music fads frequently come back into style. 

Retro is, after all, fashionable. Large, retro Chicago Bulls, Miami Dolphins, and North Sydney Bears t-shirts are quite popular among the next-generation fans that rugby needs to attract in order to stay in the game its threatened status.

This year, Super Rugby finally adopted stylish heritage strips as part of the program. A switch from Adidas to Classic clothing allowed New Zealand teams to wear the wildly popular heritage jerseys from their heyday.

Old school is new school in this sense. It’s all about history. Similarly, All Blacks-Springboks tours should be revived.

British & Irish Lions trips are rugby’s most well-known event or brand outside of World Cups. The last word is the crucial one.