The South African Rugby Union says it has an informal agreement with domestic teams to rest international players during Super Rugby to prepare for the World Cup.
SARU said on Wednesday it had an agreement with the five teams that top Springboks should not play more than five consecutive weeks in the ongoing Super Rugby season without a rest.
It also said some players, who were not named, should rest two to four weeks.
SARU called it an "understanding" with teams and "not legally binding".
Still, it's some progress for South Africa, which lags behind world champion New Zealand in managing players through a now near-constant season.
This year, Super Rugby runs from February to July, South Africa has tests in July and August, and the World Cup starts in September.
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