Fixtures draw Kiwi ire
RUGBY Australia board member and former Wallaby Dan Herbert has hit back at New Zealand’s rejection of the Rugby Championship draw declaring the tougher plight of South Africa and Argentina had to be considered in the tight tournament schedule.
RA chief executive Rob Clarke said claims from the Kiwis that a December 5 finish for the All Blacks had been agreed on were wrong.
The Kiwis reacted savagely to the release of the fixtures on Thursday, with the four-team event to be run over six weekends, starting on November 7 at Suncorp Stadium and ending on December 12 in Sydney.
Just minutes after it was released New Zealand Rugby CEO Mark Robinson said he hadn’t agreed to the schedule and the All Blacks believed their final match would be on December 5.
Under COVID-19 regulations, the All Blacks would be forced to spend Christmas in isolation in a hotel room as part of a two-week quarantine period on their return to New Zealand if they play their final game on December 12.
But on Thursday afternoon Clarke countered the claims from the Kiwis and said they would work to find a “reasonable solution”.
“For absolute clarity – on two formal occasions – Rugby Australia was supportive of altering the draw so that the Rugby Championship could be played over five weeks. On both occasions, that proposal was rejected which means there was never an agreement to finish the tournament on Saturday December 5 2020,” he said.
“That being said, no one wants players and team management to be away from their families and in quarantine over Christmas. Rugby Australia will do everything in its power to help assist New Zealand Rugby and the team in finding a reasonable resolution, and in urging them to exhaust every possible alternative.
“There are still more than two months to go before December 12 so we have plenty of time to find a solution.”
While Herbert could understand New Zealand’s disappointment, he said wishes of the tournament’s other teams also had to be considered.
Both South Africa and Argentina had pushed for the tournament to be played over six weekends, rather than five, due to their players’ lack of rugby this year.
“(I’m) a little bit surprised (by New Zealand’s complaints) because SANZAAR are the body that deals with all of the member unions and they’ve announced it,” Herbert said.
“We were very empathetic, and what we also have to take into consideration is South Africa and the fact that they’ve had no rugby this year. They don’t want to play over five weeks.
“That’s been taken into consideration. I’m not going to cast aspersions. We’ll just try to put on the best tournament we can.
“Rugby Australia, as we always have, will continue to work with all the other member unions to get to a good result.”
Herbert was hopeful of an easing of New Zealand’s quarantine regulations come the tournament.