Coronavirus may have killed off this year's Super Rugby competition but a quickfire Rugby Championship is still on the table.

The Herald has learned Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and Argentina have prioritised playing some form of Test football in the southern hemisphere this year over the resumption of Super Rugby.

When will the Wallabies play again? Australian rugby is in a fight for survival as the coronavirus pandemic bites. Credit:Getty

The format of the tournament is a puzzle SANZAAR is currently trying to piece together, as the organisation works through a range of options to ensure there is some international rugby played in the southern hemisphere this year.

"There is definitely a collective commitment to prioritising Test match footy," Rugby Australia's general manager of professional services Ben Whitaker, who has been involved in discussions with the other SANZAAR nations, said.