Hansen: All Blacks won’t be kicked out of cup
FORMER All Blacks coach Steve Hansen is certain World Rugby wouldn’t have the courage to kick New Zealand out of World Cup tournaments if the Kiwis broke ranks and scheduled its own Test matches.
The ex-Welsh coach, who led New Zealand to the 2015 Rugby World Cup, remains annoyed that attempts to introduce a globally aligned international calendar are being scuppered in Europe, reportedly by the Six Nations at first and now by the powerful English and French clubs.
Hansen also believes World Rugby’s attitude to player welfare is getting worse.
With hold-ups in the global calendar, Hansen has suggested New Zealand could go it alone and send out its own invites to play the All Blacks.
He told NZ Stuff: “You (NZ Rugby) turn around and say ‘World Rugby won’t dictate who we have to play, other than maybe a tier-two nation’.
“You arrange your own Test matches. It would sort out who is doing what – because if England wanted to play us, they would play. They do that now, when it is outside World Rugbyappointed Test matches.
“They pay now – so they revenue-share now. So for people to say it will never happen ... it will never happen if World Rugby keep organising the games.’’
NZ Rugby, like the game globally, has gone into financial meltdown due to the coronavirus pandemic. And Hansen asked why should NZ Rugby feel obligated to World Rugby when the Six Nations hold the trump cards.
And it was put to Hansen that an angry World Rugby could try to seek retribution by booting the All Blacks out of the global tournaments.
“I will put it to you this way. Do you think World Rugby would like to have a World Cup without the All Blacks in it?’’ Hansen said. “It just wouldn’t happen because they couldn’t stand for it to happen.
“And what are they going to kick us out for? For having an opinion?’’