'There's a fair appetite': The plan Rugby Australia boss Andy Marinos has for the 2021 Rugby Championship
New Rugby Australia boss Andy Marinos is urging powerbrokers to “get on the front foot” as he pushes to host the entire Rugby Championship later this year. Australia hosted what became the Tri-Nations last year after South Africa’s late withdrawal and Marinos expects this year’s tournament won’t be able to avoid another Covid-19 bubble scenario.
Speaking at the launch of this weekend’s Aon Uni 7s, where some female Australia stars will get much-needed game time ahead of their Olympic title defence in Tokyo, Marinos said he has put the ball in governing body Sanzaar’s court regarding the 2021 Rugby Championship.
“We have all resigned ourselves to the fact that we’re probably going to be in a bubble in some way, shape or form,” said Marinos, a former Sanzaar CEO. “We successfully hosted the Tri-Nations last year on a very short turnaround; our request to Sanzaar is let’s get ahead of the game a lot earlier and be able to build a proper model.
“There’s a fair appetite (to) host it here in Australia again and it’s something that we’ll put a lot of effort into.”
It comes after what Marinos described as a “surprise” announcement that the British and Irish Lions would continue with plans to tour South Africa despite the likelihood of no crowds and Australia offering to host the spectacle instead.
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Marinos also said France’s visit to Australia could be pushed back to mid-July, with the in-form French potentially arriving in two waves to accommodate the players involved in the Top 14 final on June 26. Domestically he said it remained “all systems go” for May’s five-week trans-Tasman Super Rugby tournament, providing New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern confirms the travel bubble between the countries on April 6.
Marinos said a hub to accommodate the five-week tournament in one location was still an option if the bubble was not in place. Meanwhile, New Zealand’s sevens outfits could play much-needed games in Australia in June before flying directly to Tokyo for the Games.
Like Australia and Fiji, the world champions have been unable to participate on the world tour because of tight travel restrictions and a two-week hotel quarantine on arrival. Australian coach John Manenti is also monitoring the fitness of star trio Ellia Green (knee), Emma Tonegato (shoulder) and Chloe Dalton (back) as they do their best to prepare a gold medal defence.
National players will be shared between teams for the domestic sevens competition, while they will also train in the Northern Territory to acclimatise to the expected Tokyo heat. “I would love to be going to Dubai this week to play, Madrid Sevens was a few weeks ago, would have loved to be there as well,” Manenti said.
“But two weeks in a hotel room would be detrimental to our preparation. There’s going to be a bit of hope in what we’re doing is the right thing but they’re very strange times and New Zealand and Fiji, both very strong teams, are in same situation.”
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Comments on RugbyPass
Except for the injured Zach Gallagher this would be Saders best forward pack for the season. Blackadder needs to stay at 7, for all of Christies tackling he is not dominant and offers very little else. McNicholfullback is maybe a good option, Fihaki not really upto it, there was a reason Burke played there last year. Maybe Havilli to 2nd five McLeod to wing. Need a strong winger on 1 side to compliment Reece
1 Go to commentsTo 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.
33 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
33 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
33 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.
33 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.
33 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.
33 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.
33 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 comments