With Sanzaar to be ‘creative’
line kicks in and everyone arriving in New Zealand must self isolate for 14 days.
‘‘Jacinda, nick of time,’’ Robertson quipped.
The Crusaders don’t plan to take an extended break. Instead, they will be at Rugby Park today and will train this week, despite their home derby against the Hurricanes on Friday being canned.
Their away match to the Highlanders next week is also a write off, while their home game against the Blues the following week also looks doomed.
It is winning derbies where the New Zealand conference is won and Robertson was desperate for the opportunity to knock back their next three opponents and kick clear.
‘‘The first thing the boys are saying, ‘what happens, do we get another opportunity to play Kiwi teams again?’.’’
That’s the question on the lips of many, and one Sanzaar executives are expected to work furiously toward answering in the coming weeks.
It’s only one of many questions which have surfaced, including whether New Zealand Rugby will scrap the rest of the All Blacks rest weeks if the competition resumes down the track.
Whether or not players will play club rugby is another prospect, one Robertson admitted had been discussed ahead of Christchurch’s premier competition kicking off at the end of the month. ‘‘It’s important that the guys play rugby and club rugby is a great possibility.’’
Crusaders debutant hooker Hugh Roach is due to front the Sanzaar judiciary today, after he was red carded for lashing out with an elbow and collecting Sunwolves lock Hencus van Wyk.