Why New Zealand Rugby won’t follow NRL
The return to the playing field remains uncertain for New Zealand’s Super Rugby franchises even as the country moves closer to the end of its lockdown period but the NRL’s aggressive approach is unlikely to be replicated here, says Highlanders boss Roger Clark.
The Highlanders, like other Kiwi franchises, are keen to return when the time is right but Clark revealed they are still awaiting guidance on when they can resume contact training, never mind playing a competition match.
‘‘It’s not clear,’’ Clark said. ‘‘At Alert Level 4 we can’t mow the bowling greens or the golf courses, and that’s one person.
‘‘So if you can’t do that that obviously means physical distancing doesn’t allow any sort of rugby contact at Level 4, what does that look like at Level 3 or Level 2?
‘‘The way I read it is that Level 3 wouldn’t allow it either and at Level 2 there are different criteria at different levels depending on how the government sees the situation.
‘‘I would suggest the Government will have to make a call on it at some stage on whether you can get groups of five or groups of 10.
‘‘How big does our bubble look like?’’
The NRL has confirmed a return in late May, a plan that has raised eyebrows on both sides of the Tasman, but New Zealand has a markedly different landscape.
There is a greater recognition in New Zealand that a return to action has to be seen as appropriate as well as being logistically possible, and sponsors may be wary about being associated with a sport that is taking part while the rest of the country is still suffering or recovering.
‘‘I don’t see New Zealand Rugby or even New Zealand even considering the NRL approach,’’ Clark said. ‘‘My view is that we’ll start playing or training when the Government allows us to.’’ With new cases of coronavirus falling in New Zealand, hopes are building that the Government will move to Alert Level 3 once the lockdown has ended.
However, that does not mean sport can swing back into action and the timetable for a previously proposed 10-12 week competition between Super Rugby franchises before the Mitre 10 Cup looks tight.
Even in an optimistic scenario, New Zealand players won’t be able to resume contact training until April 23, after the lockdown ends, and with at least three weeks of training needed the earliest possible date for a return to play would be the weekend starting on May 16.
The shortened competition between Kiwi Super Rugby teams would then finish by July 18 at the very earliest, three weeks before this year’s Mitre 10 Cup is due to start.
But the chances of a mid-May start date for rugby are slim, meaning NZ Rugby could be forced into the difficult position of prioritising Super Rugby or the Mitre 10 Cup, a situation where all parties would be required to compromise.
Clark said the issue of player safety was paramount, and the Highlanders haven’t played a game since the loss to the Bulls on March 8.
‘‘To get back into footy at some stage the players need to get into physical contact and get into loading,’’ Clark said.
‘‘You can’t do that if you’re practising physical distancing.
‘‘At some stage there will need to be some guidance from the Government as to what that looks like at different levels.
‘‘It’s quite clear that even though all the guys are all training it’s going to take three weeks to get the loads and contact in to be able to play in the competition safely.
‘‘So, the next question is: when can that start? That’s the big question mark and no one knows.’’