Report: Beauden Barrett, Richie Mo'unga among All Blacks stars set to miss Rugby Championship over quarantine laws
A two-week quarantine period upon arrival in Australia for the upcoming Rugby Championship could see the All Blacks play in the competition without some of their best players.
According to RNZ, both of the All Blacks first fives, Beauden Barrett and Richie Mo’unga, are understood to be unwilling to spend up to 10 weeks away from their young families.
The quarantine restrictions would force the All Blacks into a month of quarantine as they leave and return to New Zealand for the competition, which also features South Africa and Argentina and is set to run from November 7 to December 12.
A fortnight of quarantine on the return trip home in December would also force the All Blacks to spend Christmas Day away from loved ones, and it is being reported that that would be too significant of a hurdle to overcome.
Mo’unga and his wife welcomed their firstborn child last month, while Barrett will become a father for the first time within the next month.
It’s not just the two playmakers who are reported to be disinterested in making the lengthy trip across the Tasman, with RNZ stating that halfback TJ Perenara, who also has a newborn baby, wants to stay in New Zealand.
Elsewhere, wing Sevu Reece’s partner is reportedly set to give birth next month, and there are a host of other players within the national set-up who have young children and may replicate the stance taken by some of the squad’s key men.
The result could leave the All Blacks with a significantly understrength side to the 35-man team Ian Foster named over a week ago as they prepare to host two Bledisloe Cup tests in New Zealand before departing for Australia.
Speaking to media after Canterbury’s season-opening win over North Harbour on Friday, Codie Taylor acknowledged it would be “tough” spending so much time away from home.
“I’m still working through it mentally, but there will be processes in place,” he said.
“The All Blacks environment is like a home.
“It’ll be tough being away from the family and kids, but people have to do it all over the work.
“You always want to play at home, even if it was behind closed doors with an empty crowd.
“With what’s going on, it’s what you have to do to get out on the paddock.”
It’s a sentiment that his All Blacks teammates George Bridge and Rieko Ioane agree with, but both suggested that players need to adapt in these turbulent times.
“We haven’t got the full details around times and dates, but that’s the way it is. It’s been a rough year and you just have to be adaptable,” Bridge said after Canterbury’s victory in Albany.
“There was some chat about the Rugby Championship being played in New Zealand, but it’s good to see we will have a couple of test matches here.”
Following Auckland’s 38-6 thumping of Otago in Dunedin on Saturday, Ioane told Stuff: “It is what it is.
“You take the good with the bad, but it’s going to be a bit of a drag the last bit.
“Of the top of my head TJ [Perenara] and Richie [Mo’unga] are new fathers.
“It’s not something they’ll want to do but I think it’s something they have to do.
“Everyone will support them but it’ll definitely be a tough time for them.”
New Zealand Rugby chief executive Mark Robinson has already offered support to those players who would opt against travelling to Australia for health or personal reasons.
“We are hugely supportive of our players – we know they have gone through an incredibly tough time this year,” he said in a statement last week.
“This challenge of what they are about to undertake is going to be significant and we will back them and their families in whatever way we need to ensure they are looked after.”
Comments on RugbyPass
Lets compare apples with apples. Lyon sent weak team the week before, but nobody raised an eyebrow. Give the South African teams a few years to build their depth, then you will be moaning that the teams are too strong.
41 Go to commentsDid footballs agents also perform the scout role at some time? I’m surprised more high profile players haven’t taken up the occupation, great way to remain in the game and use all that experience without really requiring a lot of specific expertise?
1 Go to commentsSuper rugby is struggling but that has little to do with sabbaticals. 1. Too many teams from Aust and NZ - should be 3 and 4 respectively, add in 2 from Japan, 1 possibly 2 from Argentina. 2. Inconsistent and poor refereeing, admittedly not restricted to Super rugby. Only one team was reffed at the breakdown in Reds v H’Landers match. Scrum penalty awarded in Canes v Drua when No 8 had the ball in the open with little defence nearby - ideal opportunity to play advantage. Coming back to Reds match - same scrum situation but ref played advantage - Landers made 10 yards and were penalised at the breakdown when the ref should have returned to scrum penalty. 3. Marketing is weak and losing ground to AFL and NRL. Playing 2 days compared with 4. 4. Scheduling is unattractive to family attendance. Have any franchises heard of Sundays 2pm?
10 Go to commentsAbsolutely..all they need is a chance in yhe playoffs and I bet all the other teams will be nervous…THEY KNOW HOW TO WIN IM THE PLAYOFFS..
2 Go to commentsI really hope he comes back and helps out with some coaching.
1 Go to commentsI think we are all just hoping that the Olympic 7s doesn’t suffer the same sad fate as the last RWC with the officials ruining the spectacle.
1 Go to commentsPersonally, I’ve lost the will to even be bothered about the RFU, the structure, the participants. It’s all a sham. I now simply enjoy getting a group of friends together to go and watch a few games a year in different locations (including Europe, the championship, etc). I feel extremely sorry for the real fans of these clubs who are constantly ignored by the RFU and other administrators. I feel especially sorry for the fans of clubs in the Championship who have had considerable central funding stripped away and are then expected to just take whatever the RFU put to them. Its all a sham, especially if the failed clubs are allowed to return.
9 Go to commentsI’m guessing Carl Hayman would have preferred to have stayed in NZ with benefit of hindsight. Up north there is the expectation to play twice as many games with far less ‘player management’ protocols that Paul is now criticising. Less playing through concussions means longer, healthier, careers. Carter used as the eg here by Paul, his sabbatical allowed him to play until age 37. OK its not an exact science but there is far more expectations on players who sign for Top 14 or Engl Prem clubs to get value for the huge salaries. NZR get alot wrong but keeping their best players in NZ rugby is not one of them. SA clubs are virtually devoid of their top players now, no thanks. They cant threaten the big teams in the Champions Cup, the squads have little depth. Cant see Canes/Chiefs struggling. Super has been great this year, fantastic high skill matches. Drua a fantastic addition and Jaguares will add another quality team eventually. Aus teams performing strongly and no doubt will benefit with the incentive of a Lions tour and a home RWC. Let Jordie enjoy his time with Leinster, it will allow the opportunity for another player to emerge at Canes in his absence.
10 Go to commentsLove that man, his way to despise angry little men is so funny ! 😂
4 Go to comments“South African franchises would be powerhouses if we had all our overseas based players back in situ. We would have the same unbeatable aura the Toulouses, Leinsters or Saracens of this world have had over the last decade or so.” Proof that Jake white does not understand the economics of the game in SA. Players earning abroad are not going to simply come back and represent the bulls. But they might if they have a springbok contract.
22 Go to commentsA lot of fans just joined in for the fun of it! We all admire O'Gara and what he has done for La Rochelle
4 Go to commentsThe RFU will find a way to mess this up as usual. My bet is there will be no promotion into the the Premiership, only relegation into National League One. Hopefully they won’t parachute failed clubs into the league at the expense of clubs who have battled for promotion.
9 Go to commentsWell that’s the contracts for RG and Jordie bought and paid for. Now, what are the chances we can persuade Antoine to hop over with all the extra dosh we’ll have from living at the Aviva & Croke next season…??? 🤑🤑🤑
34 Go to commentsWow, that’s incredible. Great for rugby.
34 Go to commentsYou probably read that parling is going to coach the wallaby lineout but if not before now you have.
14 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)
4 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?
5 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.
6 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.
22 Go to comments