Whitelock keen on North v South clash

All Blacks lock Sam Whitelock is keen on playing in a North Island v South Island match if the old classic is revived with this year’s test programme increasingly threatened.

Whitelock, an All Blacks captain with 117 test appearances, has been involved in discussions with New Zealand Rugby, senior players, and the players association to look at how rugby can get going again if the coronavirus pandemic eases enough to allow that.

The All Blacks’ scheduled home tests in July against Wales and Scotland look unlikely but there could be some worthy alternatives, including the old inter-island rivalry.

‘‘We’re talking about everything. We’re looking at All Black trials and North v South if we cannot travel internationally,’’ Whitelocks said in an appearance on Sky Sport’s Breakdown show on Tuesday night.

‘‘I’ve never played North v South and I’ve heard a few great stories about how it used to be the grudge match of the year – it’d be quite cool to be involved in one of those.’’

The inter-island match was once a regular fixture on the New Zealand rugby calendar, starting in 1897 and running through till 1995 when it became a victim of the crowded calendar that developed as the game went professional.

There have been 80 matches with the North winning 50, the South winning 27 and three draws.

The games have seen the

North play in black and the South in White.

There are still hopes that some form of Super Rugby could take place in the shape of domestic competitions across Sanzaar’s countries.

Whitelock, who has just returned to Christchurch after the cancellation of the Top League in Japan where he plays for the Panasonic Wild Knights, indicated he would turn out for the Crusaders if there was a New Zealand competition.

But he felt players would need four weeks of preparation to ensure they were probably fit for any form of Super Rugby.

‘‘I’ve never played North v South and I’ve heard a few great stories about how it used to be the grudge match of the year – it’d be quite cool to be involved in one of those.’’ Sam Whitelock