NZ Rugby stabbed in back by Australian counterparts
New Zealand Rugby has been so badly jerked around by Rugby Australia and Sanzaar, the group that’s supposed to run Southern Hemisphere rugby, the result may ultimately be the All Blacks defaulting the Rugby Championship.
NZR believed they had an agreement with Australia, South Africa and Argentina for the Rugby Championship across the Tasman to finish on December 5 or 6 so the All Blacks could return home, spend 14 days in quarantine and be with their families for Christmas.
Instead NZR was stabbed in the back. Why?
At the heart of what’s seen as a serious betrayal is the need for cashstrapped Rugby Australia, on the bones of their backside even before anchor sponsor Qantas dropped out this week, to have all 12 games played on weekends so they can squeeze every last available cent from the tournament.
When the Championship was to be played in New Zealand, there was agreement some tests would be held during the week so it would be over by December 6. Assurances from Rugby Australia that the same would happen across the Tasman were taken at face value.
Instead, on Thursday there was an extraordinary statement out of Sydney, which has dropped relations between Australian and New Zealand rugby to the lowest point since the debacle of 2003, when the NZRU lost part-hosting rights to the World Cup in Australia.
In a joint statement from Rugby Australia and Sanzaar’s Andy Marinos on Thursday, the Sanzaar chief executive said: “It has taken a lot of hard work to get to this point, but we are delighted that we can now confirm the match dates and venues [for the Rugby Championship].”
Which was news to New Zealand Rugby chief executive Mark Robinson.
Simon Barnett and I asked him on NewstalkZB on Thursday if the schedule of matches was set in stone.
He said: “All we [NZR] are saying is we haven’t agreed to it.”
Robinson is as honest as any man who has ever worn an All Blacks jersey, or sat in a position of authority in New Zealand rugby. I say that from some personal knowledge, and a lot of informed opinion from players who knew him well when they were teammates of his with the Crusaders and All Blacks.
So you can sell the house and put your money on him telling the truth when he said on NewstalkZB: “We [NZR] agreed, we believe, to a set of principles around New Zealand and Australian players and management being in a situation where from the 5th and 6th of December, they were free to be finished with the competition and go into quarantine and be with their families over Christmas time.”
His tone was mild and the words carefully chosen, but read them carefully, and the meaning is damning.
NZR thought they had a firm handshake deal with the Aussies and Sanzaar. Instead, they’re having to somehow convince our sunburnt neighbours across the Tasman to stick with what NZR believed they’d been promised.
Some here have seized on the issue of All Blacks not being home for Christmas. Online critics have sneered at “well-paid players not wanting to do their job”.
The reality is that Christmas at home now isn’t the problem. The shocking loss of good faith over the boardroom deal is what’s causing the rift.
This isn’t a situation that’s going to be resolved in a hurry. A lot of water, likely to have a fair quota of blood in it, has to flow under the bridge before it’s finally over.
All we can be certain of is that negotiations will be tense and tough, and if nobody blinks, it’s possible the only international rugby the
All Blacks play this year will be the Bledisloe Cup games here.
Phil Gifford co-hosts Newstalk ZB’s ●
Afternoon show with Simon Barnett.