Trans-Tasman standoff
The Rugby Championship schedule announcement has descended into a fresh trans-Tasman brawl after NZ Rugby CEO Mark Robinson accused Rugby Australia of reneging on a ‘‘commitment’’ that the All Blacks would be out of quarantine before Christmas.
Sanzaar’s released the tournament schedule yesterday, with the All Blacks set to play the Wallabies in Sydney on December 12, the final game of the six-week event.
However, the date of that game brought immediate condemnation from Robinson, given a two-week quarantine period would mean that All Blacks players and staff would still be in managed isolation on Christmas Day upon their return home.
Asked if the All Blacks could skip that final game on that date, Robinson refused to rule it out.
‘‘We’re looking at a whole lot of different options at the moment,’’ he said. ‘‘We’ll keep working with
Rugby Australia and Sanzaar on those. We’ve raised a lot of those in the last few days.
‘‘We need to take some stock now, go back to our people and have a conversation with team and management and see where it sits with them.’’
The latest bitter dispute between NZ Rugby and Rugby Australia centres on what was agreed when it looked like New Zealand was going to host the event.
Both parties agreed on one point – that the Springboks and Pumas, who are short of game time, wanted and needed a sixweek tournament schedule.
However, despite Rugby Australia sources insisting otherwise, Robinson was adamant that NZ Rugby had also given the green light to RA’s request for the Wallabies to be home for Christmas, and he expected that to be reciprocated for the All Blacks in Australia.
‘‘We had a scenario that we’ve been focused on of New Zealand and Australia being able to play
the tournament across five weeks, and it would have been the same had it been played in New Zealand,’’ Robinson said.
‘‘Clearly in the last few days there’s been some developments that mean the commitment to that wasn’t as strong, and we’ll keep working through that with Sanzaar and Rugby Australia.
‘‘I think there are some commercial considerations at play.’’
While the boardroom duel plays out, All Blacks players find themselves at the heart of a dispute that has significant personal implications. It has been well documented that Richie Mo’unga and TJ Perenara are new fathers, while Beauden Barrett and his wife, Hannah, also have their first child on the way.
There is deep frustration within NZ Rugby that Sanzaar is effectively asking those players to miss their first Christmas with their children, while more sympathetic quarantine systems in Australia, South Africa and Argentina will allow the Wallabies, Springboks and Pumas to be at home.
‘‘We still want to play these games, we’ve just got to find a way of being able to do it.
‘‘We’re talking about one game in this schedule of 12 games, and we think we can find a way forward. The reality is that all the other teams will have the benefit of being at home with their families
for Christmas.’’
NZ Rugby’s goal is to finish the tournament on December 5 or 6 – potentially by staging midweek fixtures – but the situation is complex, and South Africa and Argentina are unlikely to budge.
Certainly, Sanzaar boss Andy Marinos indicated there was little appetite for changing the schedule yesterday, and indicated any movement would have to come from the New Zealand end. ‘‘December 12 is an issue for New Zealand, but we’ve exhausted every other option,’’ Marinos said.
When asked yesterday if she would talk to Australian PM Scott Morrison about the All Blacks’ quarantine situation, New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said she understood that discussions between Australia, New Zealand and their rugby unions were still taking place.
"I think it is fair to say there was an agreement that those games would conclude by December 6 and if everyone sticks to that then there wouldn’t be an issue,"Ardern said.