Wallabies could make mad dash to New Zealand
The Wallabies will be forced to make a mad dash to New Zealand in the coming days after the closure of the trans-Tasman bubble threw the Bledisloe Cup and Rugby Championship fixtures into a spin.
The spread of the Delta variant of COVID-19 in Australia has spooked NZ, with Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announcing the quarantine-free bubble closure with Australia on Friday for a period of at least eight weeks.
The move comes at a bad time for Rugby Australia ahead of a lucrative Bledisloe Cup series against NZ and the four-nation Rugby Championship.
The Wallabies were due to face off against NZ at Eden Park on August 7 in the Bledisloe Cup opener – a fixture that remains a strong chance to still go ahead.
The series was then set to move to Perth, where a crowd of about 60,000 was expected to watch the arch-rivals face off on August 21 in a match that also doubles as the start of their Rugby Championship.
The final match between the teams was set to take place in Wellington on August 28.
The Wallabies were initially set for a week-long camp on the Gold Coast starting this Sunday before flying to NZ.
But the team will have to head to NZ within days in order to ensure the series can go ahead.
The Ardern government is granting Kiwis seven days to return to NZ, and the Prime Minister indicated the Wallabies could use that window to head there under an economic impact exemption.
Wallabies players and staff would need to provide a negative pre-departure COVID test before being granted permission to fly to NZ.
“The Wallabies team have been in a secure bubble since the conclusion of the France series, with the squad assembled on the Gold Coast,” Rugby Australia chief executive Andy Marinos said.
“The players are regularly PCR tested and have maintained strict bio-security protocols as recommended by the return to play committee and the relevant health authorities.”
Tickets for the Bledisloe Cup and Rugby Championship series went on sale on Friday morning, but just hours later the trans-Tasman bubble was paused.
Although it was initially speculated that all three matches between the Wallabies and All Blacks might have to be played in NZ, Rugby Australia is quietly optimistic the Perth fixture can still go ahead given the bubble is only closed on NZ’s end.
If the Perth match goes ahead, the big problem would be the third fixture in NZ.
Under that scenario, Wallabies and All Blacks players would need to receive exemptions to re-enter NZ.
If that doesn’t occur, the match would have to be postponed or played elsewhere.
SANZAAR is confident a solution can be found to ensure the 12-match Rugby Championship – which features Australia, NZ, Argentina, and South Africa – proceeds.
Meanwhile, Super Netball will go on hold this weekend to allow teams to regroup following the relocation of the entire competition to Queensland.
There are three more rounds before finals, with competition to resume in the middle of next week.
“The teams have experienced a highly disrupted week, having relocated to Queensland at very short notice,” Netball Australia chief executive Kelly Ryan said.
“We have a number of challenges to work through with our stakeholders, including venues and broadcast, before we can lock in the fixture for the remaining three rounds.”
The upcoming Bledisloe Cup tests between the All Blacks and Wallabies have been thrown into serious doubt following the quarantine-free travel pause between New Zealand and Australia. #AllBlacks #Wallabies #BledisloeCup https://t.co/5efVSMcu9I
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) July 23, 2021
WALLABIES FIXTURES BEFORE CLOSURE OF THE BUBBLE WAS ANNOUNCED:-
New Zealand v Wallabies, Saturday August 7 at Eden Park, Auckland *Bledisloe Cup only
Wallabies v New Zealand, Saturday August 21 at Optus Stadium, Perth *Bledisloe Cup and Rugby Championship
New Zealand v Wallabies, Saturday August 28 at Sky Stadium, Wellington *Bledisloe Cup and Rugby Championship
South Africa v Wallabies, Sunday September 12 at Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney
Wallabies v South Africa, Saturday September 18 at Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane
Wallabies v Argentina, Saturday September 25 at McDon ald Jones Stadium in Newcastle
Argentina v Wall abies, Saturday October 2 at GIO Stadium in Canberra.
Comments on RugbyPass
Wouldn’t be a bad move if Ireland pulled into SA with a young side. Particularly in Pretoria. Invaluable experience getting thumped in the bosveld.
51 Go to commentsIreland. The Princess Diana of Rugby. I never cheered so much for a team as i did for the All Blacks in that QF.
51 Go to commentsWill be great to see the Leinster first XV back in action again after their cotton wool time…
1 Go to commentsLooked up Grant Constable on google and reply was doppelgänger for Ben Smith
51 Go to commentsIt is so good that we now all get excited and debate who is best and emotionally get involved. We all back our teams which is great. Up until about 15-20 years ago, NZ was basically on its own, and then Saffa, Aussie and sometimes French and English were there. We now have at least 5-6 really top sides and another 4 who keep improving. This is so healthy. So we should not resort to rubbish comments and unhealthy debate, but rather all be chuffed that the product we watch is not competitive, exciting and often uncertain. It would be so good if World Rugger could find a way to align the rules to professional players as well as spectators. Live rugby games are SO boring as there is SO much down time as we wait for refs and TMOs and whoever else to look at every small event going back endless phases with the hope of eventually find a minute infringement to then decide cancel what was a wonderful try. This is the ultimate cork back in the bottle moment and feels like every balloon is always being popped. Come on- we must be better with the rules.
51 Go to comments“upon leaving said establishment I tripped over a stool knocking some bottles into the air and as I fell I accidently dislodged a police officer’s teaser who was passing by on an unrelated matter there by landing on said taser which caused it to discharge 50,000 watts into me. Out of shock I shouted Ireland are going to win the world cup. Upon waking up I apologised for the distress caused by my Ireland comment. The matter is closed. If you wish to pursue this matter may I remind you what I told Wayne Barnes when he sent me off. I AM A BIG ASS MAN”. Or was it “I AM A BIG ASS, MAN” or was it “I AM A BIG ASSMAN”?
1 Go to commentsThe only championship the Boks hold are: Great value for the incompetence of referees during the RWC Moaning endlessly and champions of spewing utterly ignorant 💩 at all times. Displaying the dangers of a third world education End of.
51 Go to commentsSouth Africa and Rassie do a phenomenal job of treating the 4 years in between World Cups as nothing more than a training exercise to build squad depth. The Six Nations money that keeps Irish rugby afloat is unfortunately too important to allow the same approach, and basic population size means we'll never get close to matching the depth of South Africa, England and France. That being said, Irish rugby is in a relatively good place and slowly improving inch by inch. If the other three provinces can pull the finger out and actually develop some players it'd be even better.
51 Go to commentsGood on Clarke for taking on the criticism and addressing his deficiencies, principally his laziness.
2 Go to comments“It is the people’s favourite against the actual favourite. It is the people’s champions against the actual champions. I’m joking, but it’s going to be a fantastic series.” Why did Darcy make that joke knowing it would be used as click bait? Why did RP headline it as a serious comment? Anyway, the tired comment isn’t very astute. SA players may have played more games etc. Darcy over estimated as a pundit.
51 Go to commentsNot sure Frisch will ever make the French team with Depoortère and Costes waiting in the wings to take over from Danty and Fickou.
1 Go to commentsThe Irish are tired and the Boks are old. The test series won't confirm who is best in the world, it will confirm which team needs to pursue the task of rebuilding with the most urgency.
51 Go to commentsGrant, the first time I have seen an article written by you. Maybe I have missed your previous stuff. These days all professional players effectively play a common season so all top players are equally tired, or rested. That is the job of the coaching ticket to build squad depth and juggle resources so players are ‘ fresh’ when the big games come. Possibly Ireland are less inclined to juggle squad compared to Rassie, who is prepared to take the risk to rest players as well as build depth throughout the year so come WC he has a full squad, experienced and rested enough to win 7 games. After all, to win WC you need to get through the tournament and then win the final big 3 games. Ireland should try and build a bit so come final 3 they are ready. So far only played final 1(QF). I am so looking forward to the Irish tour. Hopefully Rassie has enough time to align his guys, as he draws them from across the globe, and not from 2 sides locally( eg Leinster, Munster). No excuses, going to be exciting.
51 Go to commentsIn football, teams get fined and sometimes docked points for deliberately fielding weakened teams yet Leinster can pretty much do as they please with no comebacks. Could it be because Ireland run the URC? Could it be that Ireland run the ERC? Whichever it is, it stinks!!
6 Go to commentsIreland are only the People’s Champions in Irish eyes. The rest of the world do not care for them very much because of attitudes of people like Gordon, Ferris, Best, Jackman…I could go on!!
51 Go to commentsNot sure how Karl Dickson can ever ref a Quins game, he played for the club for 8 years as understudy to Care and is still close friends with half the team
3 Go to commentsAre bookies taking bets on how many times Vunipola's eventual statement will use the term “elders"? My money is on at least 4 times.
4 Go to commentsSo Ireland will be tired, despite having the most rested test squad in the world. They only play tests, champions cup and urc play off games ffs! Case in point; Leinster sent a B squad to SA for their last two games while their first xv rested up and trained at their leisure for the sf vs Saints at the so called ‘neutral venue’ of Croke Park. So tired? Do me a favour… And as for “people’s champions”? Seriously??? Outside of Ireland they are respected for their ability to win 6N. And of course plenty of inconsequential test friendlies without any real pressure. WC ko games when the pressure is white hot? Not so much…
51 Go to commentsSurprising how standing down or benching a player can do wonders for their motivation. Several players this week in that category.
2 Go to commentsHaha lads lads lads, that’s how you have a holiday In Majorca
4 Go to comments