Pay cuts 'inevitable' for New Zealand's top All Blacks
All Blacks hooker Dane Coles is prepared to take a pay cut to help New Zealand Rugby in the wake of the Covid-crisis that has prematurely ended the Super Rugby season.
With the coronavirus alert level ramping up from level two to three on Monday and moving to level four from midnight Wednesday, the already tenuous Super Rugby replacement competition has been put on indefinite hold, putting further economic pressure on NZ Rugby.
The confirmation today from finance minister Grant Robertson that the Covid-19 financial relief package would be extended to incorporated societies means NZ Rugby will be eligible for a payout but Robinson said tonight what that looked like remained to be seen.
See All Black fullback Christian Cullen destroying the Springboks and Wallabies during his Tri-Nations career from 1996-2002:
The Hurricanes hooker said he was prepared to do his part to help.
“It’s inevitable (that we take a pay cut) and that’s totally understandable considering what’s going on in New Zealand,” said Coles. “Rugby players in New Zealand might have to prepare for that but that’s just my opinion. You don’t want New Zealand Rugby to go under, it would be a bad thing. So hopefully the rugby players around New Zealand can do their part.”
Coles said the revised domestic Super Rugby plan was always a doubt with the ongoing Covid crisis.
“We were always keen to do something but we were never going to risk the lives of people and we weren’t going to do it without the government giving it the ok. That was the main priority we spoke about.
“After what’s come out I don’t think we’ll be getting together again too soon. Which is fair enough. At the end of the day it’s just rugby and there’s more to life at the moment to worry about, so we’ll just take it as it comes.”
Coles, a father of three, will now turn his hand to teaching with young family in isolation, while keeping fit.
“I’ve got three kids so I’m going to be a school teacher for the next wee while. It is hard, but its something we have to do, and something we have to buy into to stop the spread. A little bit of boredom is a small price to pay.
https://www.instagram.com/p/B-D6TtIAcXU/
“There’s been a lot of body weight work outs at the moment. On our team chat we had mini-teams and everyone had to post max press ups and things like that within three minutes. We’re doing what we can.
NZR boss Mark Robinson said that he had been in contact with Wales chief executive Martyn Phillips this morning and at this stage the two July tests between the All Blacks and Wales in New Zealand were still on. The All Blacks are also due to play at test against Scotland in July.
Robinson said Phillips assured him the Wales Rugby Union would take guidance from the New Zealand Government and NZ Rugby over whether or not to tour. The coronavirus situation in the United Kingdom is far more bleak than in New Zealand, where at the time of writing there have been 102 confirmed cases.
It appears, however, that it’s only a matter of time before those three fixtures are also cancelled.
“Buy into what the Prime Minister said,” said Coles. “She’s laid out some pretty good guidelines. The self-isolation is going to be tough but we’ve just got to suck it up and get on with it. Isolation is key and minimises the risk, then hopefully in 6 months time we’re in a good spot.
Coles said he expects the NRL season to soon be cancelled too.
“Surely with the AFl getting canned they might have to rethink. Surely their days are numbered I reckon. Pull the pin and get those Warriors lads back to NZ.
This article first appeared on nzherald.co.nz and is republished with permission.
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Comments on RugbyPass
The rugby championship would be even stronger with Fiji in it… I know it doesen’t fit the long term plans of NZ or Aus but you are robbing a whole nation of being able to see their best players play for Fiji…. Every second player in NZ and AUS teams has Fijian surnames… shame on you!!! World rugby won’t step in either as France and England has now also joined in…. I guess where money is involved it will always be the poor countries missing out….
76 Go to commentsNo surprise there. How hard can it be to pick a ball off the ground and chuck it to a mate? 😂
2 Go to commentsSometimes people just like a moan mate!
1 Go to commentsexcellent idea ! rugby needs this 💪
9 Go to comments9 Brumbies! What a joke! The best performing team in Oz! Ditch Skelton for Swain or Neville. Ryan Lonergan ahead of McDermott any day! Best selection bolter is Toole … amazing player
12 Go to commentsI like this, but ultimately rugby already has enough trophies. Trying to make more games “consequential" might prove to be a fools errand, although this is a less bad idea than some others. Minor quibble with the title of the article; it isn’t very meaningful to say the boks are the unofficial world champions when it would be functionally impossible for the Raeburn trophy not to be held by the world champions. There’s a period of a few months every 4 years when there is no “unofficial” world champion, and the Raeburn trophy is held by the actual world champions.
9 Go to commentsIts a great idea but one that I dont think will have a lot of traction. It will depend on the prestige that they each hold but if you can do that it would be great. When Japan beat the Boks (my team) I was absolutely devestated but I wont deny the great game they played that day. We were outclassed and it was one of the best games of rugby I have seen. Using an idea like this you might just give the the underdog teams more of an opportunity to beat the big teams and I can absolutely see it being a brilliant display of rugby. They beat us because they planned for that game. It was a great moment for Japan. This way we can remove the 4 year wait and give teams something to aim for outside of World Cup years.
9 Go to commentsHi, Dave here. Happy to answer questions 🥰
9 Go to commentsDon’t think that headline is accurate. It’s great to see Aus doing better but I’m not sure they’ve shown much threat to the top of the table. They shouldn’t be inflating wins against the lousy Highlanders and Crusaders either.
3 Go to commentsSuch a shame Roigard and Aumua picked up long term injuries, probably the two form players in the comp. Also, pretty sure Clarke Dermody isn’t their coach. Got it half right though.
3 Go to commentsOh the Aussie media, they never learn. At least Andrew Kellaway is like “Woah, yeah it’s great, but settle down there guys” having endured years of the Aussie media, fans, and often their players getting ahead of themselves only to fall flat on their faces. Have the “We'll win the Bledisloe for sure this year!” headlines started yet? It’s simple to see what’s going on. The Aussie teams are settled, they didn't lose any of their major players overseas. The Crusaders and Chiefs lost key experienced All Blacks, and Razor in the Crusaders case, and clearly neither are anywhere near as strong as last year (The Canes and Blues would probably be 3rd & 4th if they were). The Highlanders are annually average, even more so post-Aaron Smith and a big squad clean out. The two teams at the top? The two nz sides with largely the same settled roster as last year, except Ardie Savea for the Canes. They’ve both got far better coaches now too. If the Aussies are going to win the title, this is the year the kiwi sides will be weakest, so they better take their chance.
3 Go to commentsThe World Cup has to be the gold standard, line in the sand. 113 teams compete for what is the opportunity to make the pool stages, and then the knockout games for the trophy. The concept is sound. This must have been the rationale when the World Cup was created, surely? But I’m all for Looking forward and finding new ways for the SH to dominate the NH into the future. The autumn series needs a change up. Let’s start by having the NH teams come south every odd year for the Autumn/Spring series games?
9 Go to commentsWhat’ll happen when the AI models of the future go back in time and try to destroy the AI models of the past standing in their way of certain victory?
41 Go to commentsThanks, Nick. We (Seanny Maloney, Brett and I) just discussed Charlie as a potential Wallaby No 8, and wondered if he has truly realised how big he is in contact (and whether he can add 5 kg w/o slowing down). Your scouting report confirms our suspicions he has the materiel. No one knows if he has the mentality (as Johann van Graan said this week about CJ, Duane and Alfie B) to carry 10-15 times a game.
57 Go to commentsHe would be a great player for the Stormers, Dobbo should approach the guy.
3 Go to commentsGood article. A few years back when he was playing for the Cheetahs, he was a quiet standout for exactly the seasons stated here. I occasionally get to see his games in the UK, and he has become a more complete player and in many ways like an Irish player. His work ethic is so suitable to the Leinster game. I wonder if Rassie would have him listed somewhere.
3 Go to commentsResults probably skewed by the fact that a few clubs have foreign fly halves in their 30s, but most teams have young English scrum halves. Results also likely to be skewed by the fact that many teams rely on centres and fullbacks to provide depth at 10, whereas they will need to stock a large number of specialist backup 9s.
2 Go to commentsI really get the sense that when all is said and done, the path of least resistance will end up being a merger of Wasps & Worcester that essentially kills the Worcester Warriors brand and sees Wasps permanently playing at Sixways. I’m not saying that’s what should happen or what I want to happen. I just think it’s the easiest rout to take and therefore, will be what happens. Wasps will definitely return to play first, and I suppose it all depends on if they can find support at Sixways. If people turn up and support Wasps in that community, at that ground, I bet they drop the Sevenoaks plan and just remain at Sixways. Under the radar but not totally unrelated, it looks as though London Irish are going to be brought back from the dead by a German consortium and look set to return, likely to the remade Championship. It’s set to have 12 clubs next season with 14 in 2025/26, what do you want to bet those extra 2 are Wasps and London Irish?
3 Go to commentsThe shoulder is a “joint” with multiple bones. You don’t “fracture” a shoulder, you fracture any one or more of the bones that make up a shoulder.
2 Go to commentsOh dear, bones too suspect to continue?
2 Go to comments