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Australia prepared to offer New Zealand a pool for RWC 2027

By AAP
Ben Smith of the All Blacks. (Photo by Will Russell/Getty Images)

Rugby Australia’s push for closer ties with New Zealand has extended to potentially offering the Kiwis pool matches in its bid to host the 2027 Rugby World Cup.

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New RA chairman Hamish McLennan has declared he is open to sharing games across the Tasman to strengthen a relationship he says has taken on increasing importance because of COVID-19’s impact.

While details around Australia’s bid for the 2027 global showpiece are still being formulated, McLennan revealed he is receptive to New Zealand playing a role.

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The Sky Sports NZ team discuss all the action from Round 2 of Super Rugby Aotearoa and news from around the world.

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The Sky Sports NZ team discuss all the action from Round 2 of Super Rugby Aotearoa and news from around the world.

“At the end of the day, there’s a lot of history between our two countries so I’m really open to that,” McLennan told Sky TV in NZ.

“I want to have a friendly and co-operative relationship with you guys. You are what you are, you’re a fantastic rugby nation.

“We’re really keen to win it and if you got a few pool games or a pool, I’d be up for that.”

McLennan’s comments came in the context of discussing the future model of Super Rugby, which he is adamant needs to have an Australasian structure.

He said both countries have reached an enviable stage in the fight against COVID-19 compared to other nations but both share the need for a financial injection.

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Broadcasters were continuing to talk up the value of a trans-Tasman competition, he said, along with the possible inclusion of a Pacific Islands team.

“If we can do more cross-Tasman with Super Rugby, that’s great,” McLennan said.

“The SANZAAR nations have to stick together. You guys have been the leaders for a long time. We’ve got a great history.

“If we can secure the World Cup, that would be great for this part of the world and it is due to come down to the southern hemisphere.”

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If the bid is successful, the 11th Rugby World Cup would be the fourth in Australasia.

Australia (2003) and New Zealand (2011) have each held lone staging rights while they were co-hosts for the inaugural 1987 tournament.

A low point in trans-Tasman relations came in the leadup to the 2003 tournament when New Zealand were ditched as co-hosts following a contractual dispute.

Australia are early favourites to win the 2027 rights, with Russia the only other nation currently in contention after Argentina pulled out in April.

McLennan last week included himself on a powerful advisory board to oversee the bid.

– Daniel Gilhooly

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Jon 7 hours ago
Jake White: Are modern rugby players actually better?

This is the problem with conservative mindsets and phycology, and homogenous sports, everybody wants to be the same, use the i-win template. Athlete wise everyone has to have muscles and work at the gym to make themselves more likely to hold on that one tackle. Do those players even wonder if they are now more likely to be tackled by that player as a result of there “work”? Really though, too many questions, Jake. Is it better Jake? Yes, because you still have that rugby of ole that you talk about. Is it at the highest International level anymore? No, but you go to your club or checkout your representative side and still engage with that ‘beautiful game’. Could you also have a bit of that at the top if coaches encouraged there team to play and incentivized players like Damian McKenzie and Ange Capuozzo? Of course we could. Sadly Rugby doesn’t, or didn’t, really know what direction to go when professionalism came. Things like the state of northern pitches didn’t help. Over the last two or three decades I feel like I’ve been fortunate to have all that Jake wants. There was International quality Super Rugby to adore, then the next level below I could watch club mates, pulling 9 to 5s, take on the countries best in representative rugby. Rugby played with flair and not too much riding on the consequences. It was beautiful. That largely still exists today, but with the world of rugby not quite getting things right, the picture is now being painted in NZ that that level of rugby is not required in the “pathway” to Super Rugby or All Black rugby. You might wonder if NZR is right and the pathway shouldn’t include the ‘amateur’, but let me tell you, even though the NPC might be made up of people still having to pull 9-5s, we know these people still have dreams to get out of that, and aren’t likely to give them. They will be lost. That will put a real strain on the concept of whether “visceral thrill, derring-do and joyful abandon” type rugby will remain under the professional level here in NZ. I think at some point that can be eroded as well. If only wanting the best athlete’s at the top level wasn’t enough to lose that, shutting off the next group, or level, or rugby players from easy access to express and showcase themselves certainly will. That all comes back around to the same question of professionalism in rugby and whether it got things right, and rugby is better now. Maybe the answer is turning into a “no”?

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j
john 9 hours ago
Will the Crusaders' decline spark a slow death for New Zealand rugby?

But here in Australia we were told Penney was another gun kiwi coach, for the Tahs…….and yet again it turned out the kiwi coach was completely useless. Another con job on Australian rugby. As was Robbie Deans, as was Dave Rennie. Both coaches dumped from NZ and promoted to Australia as our saviour. And the Tahs lap them up knowing they are second rate and knowing that under pressure when their short comings are exposed in Australia as well, that they will fall in below the largest most powerful province and choose second rate Tah players to save their jobs. As they do and exactly as Joe Schmidt will do. Gauranteed. Schmidt was dumped by NZ too. That’s why he went overseas. That why kiwi coaches take jobs in Australia, to try and prove they are not as bad as NZ thought they were. Then when they get found out they try and ingratiate themselves to NZ again by dragging Australian teams down with ridiculous selections and game plans. NZ rugby’s biggest problem is that it can’t yet transition from MCaw Cheatism. They just don’t know how to try and win on your merits. It is still always a contest to see how much cheating you can get away with. Without a cheating genius like McCaw, they are struggling. This I think is why my wise old mate in NZ thinks Robertson will struggle. The Crusaders are the nursery of McCaw Cheatism. Sean Fitzpatrick was probably the father of it. Robertson doesn’t know anything else but other countries have worked it out.

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A
Adrian 11 hours ago
Will the Crusaders' decline spark a slow death for New Zealand rugby?

Thanks Nick The loss of players to OS, injury and retirement is certainly not helping the Crusaders. Ditto the coach. IMO Penny is there to hold the fort and cop the flak until new players and a new coach come through,…and that's understood and accepted by Penny and the Crusaders hierarchy. I think though that what is happening with the Crusaders is an indicator of what is happening with the other NZ SRP teams…..and the other SRP teams for that matter. Not enough money. The money has come via the SR competition and it’s not there anymore. It's in France, Japan and England. Unless or until something is done to make SR more SELLABLE to the NZ/Australia Rugby market AND the world rugby market the $s to keep both the very best players and the next rung down won't be there. They will play away from NZ more and more. I think though that NZ will continue to produce the players and the coaches of sufficient strength for NZ to have the capacity to stay at the top. Whether they do stay at the top as an international team will depend upon whether the money flowing to SRP is somehow restored, or NZ teams play in the Japan comp, or NZ opts to pick from anywhere. As a follower of many sports I’d have to say that the organisation and promotion of Super Rugby has been for the last 20 years closest to the worst I’ve ever seen. This hasn't necessarily been caused by NZ, but it’s happened. Perhaps it can be fixed, perhaps not. The Crusaders are I think a symptom of this, not the cause

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