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All games in NZ? Kiwi boss reveals how Rugby Championship will work
Mark Robinson has confirmed New Zealand Rugby is working with the Government to host the Rugby Championship through November and December, but playing Bledisloe Cup fixtures in Australia remains up for discussion.
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Sanzaar announced earlier today that the four-team Rugby Championship would be held in New Zealand later this year, provided the Government approve travel exemptions and quarantine measures, and the Covid-19 situation here does not deteriorate.
Despite South Africa, where there are 311,000 Covid-19 cases, and Argentina (111,000 cases) being yet to resume any domestic rugby, NZ Rugby chief executive Robinson suggested New Zealand hosting a six-week Rugby Championship from early November to mid-December was feasible and that all four nations were on board.
“It’s very positive news for rugby in New Zealand. It’s a significant opportunity for the game here and the entire country which we’re excited about and eager to begin work with the Government to see what we can make happen,” Robinson said.
“Our thoughts go out to our joint venture countries in South Africa, Argentina and Australia about the challenges they’re working through and if we are to get this tournament off the ground in New Zealand the great lengths they’ll have to go to with their players and families and administrators to make this happen.
While the rugby schedule remains fluid the North against South fixture is locked in for August 29 at Eden Park. All Blacks coach Ian Foster will name his first squad the following day, and the first Bledisloe Cup test had been pencilled in for October 10 in Wellington.
The Mitre 10 Cup season is also scheduled to run from September 11 until November 28.
The plan was to stage two Bledisloe matches in New Zealand and two in Australia – Sydney and Brisbane – but with the Covid-19 situation rapidly deteriorating in Victoria and New South Wales that may not be possible. Logistically, it would be much easier to stage all Bledisloe matches in New Zealand but Robinson indicated those discussions were ongoing.
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“At the moment they’re signalling they would like to host two Bledisloe matches but it’s a fairly fluid situation. We’re going to have to try and understand what that means if we do play in Australia in terms of getting back to New Zealand in terms of quarantine and then having to go into Rugby Championship with the timing and what that means and if it can be done. They’re still things it’s early days with.”
Robinson confirmed Sanzaar would pick up the bill for teams having to quarantine in New Zealand for two weeks but the details of where that might happen, and whether they could train at managed facilities as the Warriors did when they first arrived in Australia, were still being worked through with Government.
There is also the prospect that South Africa and Argentina may attempt to arrive in New Zealand early and play warm-up fixtures before the Rugby Championship begins.
“It seems they’re all in at the moment. Talking to the Argentinians and South Africans they’re very keen to make it work.
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“Although it’s early days we’re looking at the prospect that they could come to New Zealand and then look to have games played here as part of their preparation. The timing of that, and how that might look, is yet to be determined but we’re wanting to work with them as much as possible to ensure they’ve got the best chance of success throughout the tournament.”
While New Zealand Rugby is likely to enjoy a welcome financial windfall from hosting the tournament for the first time, Robinson said gate takings would be split among the four nations.
“It’s probably too early to say what it might mean but it will be positive. We’ll be working towards a model where everyone who participates in the tournament has to benefit. The detail of all that hasn’t been worked through but it’s a joint venture partnership that we’re committed to and we want everyone to be as successful as possible.”
The timing of the proposed Rugby Championship effectively rules out the All Blacks facing any Northern Hemisphere opposition this calendar year.
“There’s various discussions around competition formats that are happening in the Northern Hemisphere. We’re still in regular contact with Six Nations and World Rugby about various possibilities there but the reality of what is currently being proposed is more realistic at the moment.”
Comments on RugbyPass
Wow, that’s incredible. Great for rugby.
1 Go to commentsYou probably read that parling is going to coach the wallaby lineout but if not before now you have.
12 Go to commentsIf someone like Leo Cullen was in O’Gara’s place I don’t hear Boo-ing. It’s not just that La Rochelle has hurt Leinster and O’Gara is their Irish boss. It’s the needle that he brings and the pantomime activity before the game around pretending that Munster were supporting LaRochelle just because O’Gara is from Cork. That’s dividing Irish provinces just to get an advantage for his French Team. He can F*ck right off with that. BOOOOO! (but not while someone is lying injured)
1 Go to commentsDid the highlanders party too hard before the game? They were the pits.
1 Go to commentsWhat a player! Not long until he’s in the England side, surely?
1 Go to commentsHe seems to have the same aura as Marcus Smith - by which I mean he’s consistently judged as if he’s several years younger than he actually is. Mngomezulu has played 24 times for the Stormers. When Pollard was his age he had played 24 times for South Africa! He has more time to develop, but he has also had time to do some developing already, and he hasn’t demonstrated nearly as much talent in that time as one would expect. If he is a generational talent, then it must be a pretty poor generation.
4 Go to commentsThe greatest Springbok coach of all time is entirely on the money. Rassie and Jacques have given the south african public a great few years, but the success of the springbok selection policy will need to be judged in light of what comes next. The poor condition that the provincial system is currently in doesn’t bode well for the next few years of international rugby, and the insane 2026 schedule that the Boks have lined up could also really harm both provincial and international consistency.
16 Go to commentsJake White is a brilliant coach and a master in the press. This is another masterclass in media relations and PR but its also a very narrow view with arguments that dont always hold water. White wants his team to win, he wants the best players in SA and wants his team competitive. You however have to face up to the reality of a poor exchange rate and big clubs with big budgets. SA Rugby cant compete and unless it can find more money SA players will keep leaving regardless of Springbok eligibility and this happened in 2015 - 2017. Also rugby is not cricket. Cricket has 3 formats and T20 cricket is where the money is at. When it comes to club vs country the IPL is king but that wont happen because the international calendar does not clash with the club calendar in rugby. So the argument about rugby going down the same path as cricket is really a non-starter
16 Go to commentsNZ rugby seem not to have learnt anything from professional rugby. Super rugby was dying and SA left before they died with the competition. SA rugby did a u turn on their approach to international players playing overseas and such players are now selected for Bok teams. As much as each country would love to retain their players playing in local competitions, this is the way the world is evolving my friends. Move with it or stay 20 years behind the times. One more thing. NZ rugby hierarchy think they are the big cheese. Take a more humble approach guys. You do not seem to have your players best interests at heart.
3 Go to commentsBeaches? In Cardiff? Where?
1 Go to commentsHe is right , the Crusaders will be a threat. Scott Barrett, ( particularly), Fergus Burke , Codie Taylor, ( from sabbatical) etc due back soon for the Crusaders. There are others like Zach Gallagher too. People can right the Crusaders off, Top 8 , here we come !!
1 Go to commentsWe will always struggle for money to match the other sides but the least the WRU can do is invest properly in Welsh rugby. Too much has been squandered on vanity projects like the hotel and roof walk amongst others which will never see a massive return. Hanging the 4 pro sides out to dry over the last decade is now coming back to bite the WRU financially as well as on the pitch. You reap what you sow.
1 Go to commentsWhat do you get if you cross a doctor with a fish? A plastic sturgeon
14 Go to commentsWhat happened to feleti Kaitu’u? Hasnt played in a while right?
1 Go to commentsGregor I just can’t agree with you. You are trying to find something that just isn’t there. Jordie Barrett has signed until 2028. By the end of that he would have spent probably 11-12 years on Super Rugby and you say he can’t possibly have one season playing somewhere else. It is absurd. What about this scenario, the NZR play hard ball and he decides to leave and play overseas. How would that affect the competition. There seems to be an agenda by certain journalists to push certain agendas and don’t like it when it’s not to their liking. I fully support the NZR on this. Gregor needs to get a life.
3 Go to commentsHope he stays as believe he can do a great job.
1 Go to commentsMake what step up? Manie has a World Cup winner’s medal around his neck and changed the way the Springboks can play. He doesn’t have anything to prove to anyone. The win record of the Boks with him in the team is tremendous. Sacha can be wonderful and I hope he has a very succesful Bok career, but comparing him to Manie in terms of the next Bok flyhalf is very strange. Manie is the incumbent (not the next) and doing pretty incredibly.
4 Go to comments00 😍 U
1 Go to commentsSabbaticals have helped keep NZ’s very best talent in the country on long term deals - this fact has been left out of this article. Much like the articles calling to allow overseas players to be selected, yet can only name one player currently not signed to NZR who would be selected for the ABs. And in the entire history of NZ players leaving to play overseas, literally only 4 or 5 have left in their prime as current ABs. (Piatau, Evans, Hayman, Mo’unga,?) Yes Carter got an injury while playing in France 16 years ago, but he also got a tournament ending injury at the 2011 World Cup while taking mid-week practice kicks at goal. Maybe Jordie gets a season-ending injury while playing in Ireland, maybe he gets one next week against the Brumbies. NZR have many shortcomings, but keeping the very best players in the country and/or available for ABs selection is not one of them. Likewise for workload management - players missing 2 games out of 14 is hardly a big deal in the grand scheme of things. Again let’s use some facts - did it stop the Crusaders winning SR so many times consecutively when during any given week they would be missing 2 of their best players? The whole idea of the sabbatical is to reward your best players who are willing to sign very long term deals with some time to do whatever they want. They are not handed out willy-nilly, and at nowhere near the levels that would somehow devalue Super Rugby. In this particular example JB is locked in with NZR for what will probably (hopefully) be the best years of his career, hard to imagine him not sticking around for a couple more after for a Lions tour and one more world cup. He has the potential to become the most capped AB of all time. A much better outcome than him leaving NZ for a minimum of 3 years at the age of 27, unlikely to ever play for the ABs again, which would be the likely alternative.
3 Go to commentsJake White talks more sense than anything I've read in the last 5 years. Hope someone's listening.
16 Go to comments