Famine to feast: Bumper test schedule for ABs
The All Blacks will kick off a bumper 2021 by playing host to Fiji in the first meeting between the two nations in more than a decade – Covid-19 permitting, of course.
New Zealand Rugby chief executive Mark Robinson confirmed the bulk of the All Blacks’ 2021 international schedule yesterday but said an additional two games were in the pipeline for the end of next year.
The All Blacks played just six games in 2020 due to the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic but could play as many as 15 next year.
Robinson said the All Blacks would host Fiji and Italy (twice) in July before playing traditional Rugby Championship rivals Argentina, Australia and South Africa.
The All Blacks have not played against Fiji since their 60-14 win at Carisbrook in Dunedin in 2011.
The All Blacks were scheduled to round out 2021 with tests against Italy, Ireland and France but Robinson said
NZR was keen to secure an additional two fixtures against northern hemisphere opposition abroad.
‘‘The All Blacks schedule for 2021 is starting to take shape. We are looking to host, Coviddependent, Italy and Fiji in July,’’ Robinson said.
‘‘We are also working with Sanzaar at the moment around hoping to finalise the Rugby Championship schedule as well as Bledisloe Cup and a third Bledisloe for next year.
‘‘We are also looking at opportunities to play games outside of our regulation 9 [international] window in November.
‘‘At the moment we are due to play Italy, Ireland and France in those three weeks but we’re looking at games on either shoulder of that fixture list in November or potentially two games before our first game in Europe against Italy.’’ Robinson said nations in Asia and North America, as well as Europe, were being considered.
‘‘We’ve got a relatively new All Blacks group that are coming together and have had a very truncated programme this year, so we want to provide opportunities for them to play.
‘‘There’s obviously financial considerations too, which go in with these decisions, but we’ve got to balance that with player welfare.
‘‘There are opportunities in areas like the United States, Asia and the UK and Europe that we’re open to at the moment and we’re working really hard on those and making good progress.’’
Although Robinson said NZ Rugby would be ‘‘open’’ to the possibility of staging the entire Rugby Championship in one country again – after Australia hosted this year’s competition due to travel restrictions – he said the preference was to return to the traditional format, where the
All Blacks would play the other three nations home and away. However, that is also Covid-19 permitting.
Robinson said he expected to have the tests against Fiji and Italy ratified by World Rugby by March.