Little sympathy over Kiwis’ schedule anger

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.

And RA chief executive said 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 yesterday, with the fourteam event to be run over six consecutive weekends, starting on November 7 at Suncorp Stadium and ending on December 12 in Sydney.

Under current COVID-19 regulations, the All Blacks would 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 Clarke countered the Kiwi claims 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 5 December 2020,” he said.

The Rugby Championship 2020 schedule

Round One – Saturday 7 November Suncorp Stadium Argentina v South Africa Australia v New Zealand Round Two – Saturday 14 November

Bankwest Stadium, Sydney New Zealand v Argentina South Africa v Australia Round Three – Saturday 21 November

ANZ Stadium, Sydney

New Zealand v South Africa Australia v Argentina

Round Four – Saturday 28 November

Mcdonald Jones Stadium, Newcastle

Argentina v Australia

South Africa v New Zealand Round Five – Saturday 5 December

Bankwest Stadium, Sydney Argentina v New Zealand Australia v South Africa Round Six – Saturday 12 December

ANZ Stadium, Sydney South Africa v Argentina Australia v New Zealand

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