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New Zealand Rugby to review controversial All Blacks rest policy

By Online Editors
(Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)

By NZ Herald

New Zealand Rugby boss Mark Robinson has defended Super Rugby’s All Blacks rest protocols, but admits there will be a review of the controversial policy later this year.

The ‘load management’ policy has come under fire from coaches and commentators who argue that the rule alienates fans, devalues the competition and even negatively impacts players’ careers.

Highlanders assistant coach Tony Brown expressed concerns over the policy last week, saying it has “cost a few players their All Black careers”.

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“It’s always been the sort of Richie McCaw, Dan Carter, Kieran Read plan, where they need to give those guys all a rest so to keep it all even they make it mandatory to rest every All Black,” Brown told Newstalk ZB‘s Martin Devlin.

“I think in the past it’s actually cost a few players their All Black careers. If you look at the Highlanders, guys like Malakai Fekitoa, Waisake Naholo, Elliot Dixon, those sort of guys who actually didn’t get a lot of time for the All Blacks, those guys getting rested as well which didn’t allow them to prepare for Super Rugby. And then their Super Rugby form actually cost them their All Blacks spot.”

Chiefs head coach Warren Gatland has also spoken out against the policy.

Robinson, who took over from Steve Tew as NZ Rugby CEO, said he understood Brown’s criticism but defended the All Blacks selectors.

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“I hear Browny’s comments,” Robinson said in an interview with Radio Sport‘s Jim Kayes. “But the other thing I’ll say is that in recent times, certainly in the last 10 to 15 years, the All Blacks selected players including fringe players and they’ve shown an ability to work alongside players that might’ve lacking form but they respect and trust and bring them into the environment and do get game time.

“So I accept that there are many examples that can be pointed to the point that you’ve got there. But there’s also a pretty tight relationship between All Blacks coaches, the selectors and the players that you’re referring to there.

The convention, which has been in place since 2010, is New Zealand’s top players will play 40, 60 and then 80 minutes over the first three rounds of Super Rugby, although that could be managed differently – for example 60/60/60. They also get two weeks either to spend away from the team or to focus on their physical conditioning.

Robinson, a former All Black, said NZ Rugby has tried to find a “delicate balance” with the policy and that it was built with consultation from players.

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“I think we also need to understand that we’ve built this off a lot of consultation with players. We have used a lot of sports science and research has gone into it and a lot of thought has gone into it.

“I think it’s also important to understand that most professional teams and leagues now around the world have to manage the workload of players because most seasons across most leagues are simply unsustainable for an athlete to play every minute of every game.

“I think the other benefit of the policy to date is the fact that it’s made things very clear for all parties in this area of what the expectations are. So it’s taken out the grey.”

Despite his staunch defence of the All Blacks protocols, Robinson said a review into the policy will be done sometime this year.

“Overall, we think it’s been a very effective policy and a lot of work has gone into it. But like a lot of things we accept that in any organisation, you’re constantly reviewing and looking at things. And so we’re open to that for the future.”

This article first appeared in nzherald.co.nz and was republished with permission.

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Jon 8 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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john 11 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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