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NZR boss: Tests against Pacific and European nations on the cards for All Blacks this year
New Zealand Rugby boss Mark Robinson says he hasn’t ruled out the prospect of the All Blacks facing off against nations from the Pacific Islands and the Northern Hemisphere in 2020.
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The coronavirus pandemic has forced the postponement and cancellation of rugby worldwide this year, with international travel restrictions, economic shortfalls and social distancing measures halting the game across the globe in March.
The All Blacks haven’t been immune to the outbreak, with their July test series against Wales and Scotland have been postponed indefinitely, with little sign that the fixtures will go ahead in their intended window.
However, the return of Super Rugby in New Zealand via the revised Super Rugby Aotearoa competition, which is set to kick-off next Saturday, will act as a springboard for the return of professional rugby.
Rugby Australia is set to follow suit with a domestic competition of its own, featuring the addition of the Western Force, early next month.
At an international level, Rugby Australia (RA) interim chief executive Rob Clarke has revealed his organisation is in discussions with its SANZAAR partners New Zealand, South Africa and Argentina about staging the Rugby Championship solely in Australia.
RA is also seeking to lock in an extended four-match Bledisloe Cup series between the Wallabies and All Blacks, but Robinson is hopeful of securing further tests against international sides outside of the SANZAAR sphere.
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“The most likely international scenario we can see at the moment is playing some sort of international rugby in the last quarter of the year,” the NZR boss told Radio New Zealand.
“We are talking to all different parties some – [the] northern hemisphere, our SANZAAR partners for trans-Tasman bubbles or the Pacific – they could be a team.”
Robinson also commented on reports out of South Africa that the country’s four Super Rugby sides – the Bulls, Lions, Sharks and Stormers – could be set to join Europe’s PRO14 competition between next year and 2023.
As New Zealand, Australia and South Africa devise plans for what a post-coronavirus world looks like for their club sides, the Jaguares – and Argentine rugby – have been left in the realm of uncertainty.
✍️ – @alexmcleod891 https://t.co/WeuFrPkjsE
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) June 2, 2020
The move would allow fixtures to take place in a much more time zone-friendly competition for the South African clubs, with the Bloemfontein-based Cheetahs and Southern Kings out of Port Elizabeth already plying their trade in the PRO14.
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The four SANZAAR partners currently have a Super Rugby deal in place that will extend to 2026, but Robinson wouldn’t rule out the South African franchises departing the competition sooner than that.
“There’s a lot of media speculation around all the joint venture (competitions),” he told RNZ.
“But what is important is that we go to these meetings and get everything on the table and understand where each of the parties is at and try to work through the challenges.”
Comments on RugbyPass
To me TJ is clearly the best 9 in the competition right now but he's also a proven player off the bench, there's few playmaking players who can come off the bench as calm and settled as he is, Beauden can, TJ can and I doubt any of the scrumhalves in contention can, if they want to experiment with new 9s I want him on the bench ready to step in if they crumble under the pressure. The Boks put their best front row on the bench, I'd like to see us take a similar approach, the Hurricanes have been doing similar things with players like Kirifi.
30 Go to commentsROG has better chance to win a WC if he starts training and make himself eligible as a player. He won’t make the Ireland squad but I reckon he may get close with Namibia (needs to improve his Afrikaans) or Portugal. Both sides had 1000:1 odds to win the RWC in 2023 which is an improvement on ROG’s odds of winning a RWC as a coach. Unlike Top 14 teams, national teams can’t go shopping and buy the best players - you work with the available talent pool and turn them into world beaters.
2 Go to commentsthat backline nope that backline is terrible why would you have sevu Reece when he’s not even top 5 wingers in the comp why have Blackadder when there’s better players no Scott barret isn’t an automatic the guy is more of a liability than anything why have him there when you have samipeni who’s far far better
30 Go to commentsAh, good to find you Nick. Agree with everything about Cale. So much to like about his game
49 Go to commentsNot too bad. Questions at 6, lock and HB for me. The ABs will be a lot stronger once Jordan and Roigard return. Also, work needs to be made to secure Frizzell back for next season and maybe also Mo’unga; they’re just wasting time playing in japan
30 Go to commentsOn the title, i wonder for many of those people it is a case something like a belief in working smarter, not harder?
1 Go to commentsForget Sotutu. One of those whose top level is Super Rugby. Id take a punt on Wallace Sititi Finau ahead of Glass body Blackadder.
30 Go to commentsI’m a pensioner so I've been around a bit. My opinion of SBW is he is an elite athlete and a great New Zealander and roll model. He has been to the top and knows what he's talking about. To all the negative comments regarding SBW the typical New Zealand way, cut that tall poppy down.
17 Go to commentsI'm not listening to a guy moralise over others when this is the guy who walked out mid season on Canterbury RLFC when he had a contract with them, what a hypocrite. Those praising him are a joke.
17 Go to commentsI’d put Finau at 6 instead of Blackadder but that’s the only change I’d make. Can’t wait to see who Razor picks.
30 Go to commentsTamati Williams, Codie Taylor, and Same Cane? Not sure about Hoskins Sotutu at test level. Wasn’t that impressive last season. Need a balance between experience and talent/youth.
30 Go to commentsInteresting insight. Fantastic athlete, and a genuine human being.
17 Go to commentsThey played at night in Suva last weekend and it’s an afternoon game forecast for 19 degrees in Canberra this weekend. Heat change is a non issue.
1 Go to commentsWishing Rosie a speedy recovery
1 Go to commentsObscene that SA haven’t been knocking
1 Go to commentsChances of Blackadder being injured seem too high to give him serious consideration. ABs loosie combination finally looked good with 2 committed to tackling and clearing rucks in the centre and Ardie roaming. Hoskins/Ardie together would force one of them into where they don’t excel and don’t get to use their talent, or require a change in tactics. If we continue to evolve last years systems I would take Papali’i and Finau at 6 and 7 (conceding that Blackadder will be injured) and Ardie at 8.
30 Go to commentsArdie’s preferred position 7? Where do they get these writers from? I've no idea where he's playing in Japan, but the previous two seasons he wore the 7 jersey exactly twice.
17 Go to commentsNot good to hear Ulster described as “financially troubled”. Did not think it was getting to that level. I would hope the Irish system of spreading players of talent away from Leinster would kick in now. Better to have a Leinster fringe player with Ulster or Connacht, then getting only a few games a season in Dublin. 10, for example, would seem to be a case for spreading the talent. I would not be at all adverse to a SA man coming in as head coach/DR. Ludeke is worth trying. Certainly got a long and impressive coaching career at this level…..149 games in SR, then Japan, 30 years experience. And Ulster’s ledger of successful SA coaches and players is on the positive side. Is talk of Ruan Pienaar interested in coming back as a coach…..could be a good combination with Ludeke. And Pienaar and family would have no settling in to do, one would judge. He loved life in Ulster when there, by all reports.
1 Go to commentsSome thoughts to consider here, Sam. Thanks
2 Go to commentsI think he is right, SBW is respected in RSA. The guy who never stood up is a worm. Sseems lots of NZ SBW hate, you do the crime do the time.
17 Go to comments