New Zealand cancel Australia, South Africa games as Rugby Championship in chaos

The immediate future of the 2021 Rugby Championship is uncertain after New Zealand Rugby (NZR) announced the All Blacks would not be travelling to Australia as planned this weekend.

Outbreaks of Covid-19 community cases in Auckland and Wellington have sent New Zealand into a state of lockdown, convincing the country to also scrap its upcoming fixtures against South Africa.

Rugby Australia expressed disappointment with the announcement after not being informed of New Zealand’s intentions, though the union said it was “confident we will find a solution.”

The third Bledisloe Cup match against the Wallabies in Perth on August 28 was scheduled to be the first of three games for the All Blacks in Australia.

Ian Foster’s team were due to fly out to the country’s west coast on Sunday, but CEO Mark Robinson said in a statement that will no longer be the case.

“Without complete certainty on the team’s next movements around The Rugby Championship we felt it was prudent for the team to stay put in New Zealand until SANZAAR have announced the full tournament schedule,” Robinson said.

“Once the team leaves our shores, they currently can’t return until November 23 post their Northern Tour, so given the uncertainty, it makes sense to pause and get more clarity on these fixtures.

“We remain 100 percent committed to playing in the entire Fortinet Rugby Championship in 2021 and are working closely with SANZAAR to look at a range of options to reschedule these important matches.”

Reports emerged on Thursday suggesting SANZAAR—the governing body that oversees the Rugby Championship—could export the tournament’s remaining matches to Europe.

London, Cardiff, Dublin and Paris have been mooted as potential venues for four back-to-back double-header weekends after South Africa host Argentina for the second time this Saturday.

Current Covid-19 protocols mean New Zealanders must quarantine upon arrival in Australia, but detouring to the United Kingdom via Singapore would allow teams to avoid isolation.

The planned September 25 clash between the All Blacks and Springboks in Dunedin was set to be the teams’ 100th meeting, but Robinson explained: “After discussions with Government, it is clear that the COVID-19 travel restrictions meant there was no way of bringing the South African and Wallaroos squads into New Zealand and we understand the importance of putting the health and safety of New Zealanders first.”

With barely a week before Foster’s side are due to face the Wallabies in Perth, SANZAAR is now in a scramble to find a solution without causing a delay to fixtures.

Rugby Australia chief executive Andy Marinos made little effort to hide his frustration at the matter, alleging his NZR counterpart failed to raise concerns in a recent conversation.

“It’s incredibly disappointing to be informed of this decision via the media, despite having a conversation with the CEO moments before and there [being] no mention that this was the intention,” Marinos said in a statement.

“We will continue to leave no stone unturned in finding an option … for the Perth Test.

“The team has been in camp since the end of June and jumped on a plane at the end of July to go to New Zealand with no certainty as to what the Test schedule will look like, or when they would be home.

“Despite this outcome, I am confident we will find a solution for the whole Rugby Championship in what continues to be a very challenging environment in which to work.”

Marinos added he and other parties involved in discussions were “confident we were close to finding a solution” for an alternative method to complete this year’s Rugby Championship.

Reigning world champions South Africa will still host Argentina as planned in Port Elizabeth on Saturday, seeking their second straight win over the Pumas at Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium.

Coach Jacques Nienaber’s men beat the South Americans 32-12 at the same venue a week ago, with the Springboks scheduled to travel to Australia for two meetings with the Wallabies.

In addition to withdrawing from the All Blacks’ upcoming home Tests, New Zealand also announced their women’s team will no longer host Australia in two back-to-back matches.

SANZAAR is expected to make an announcement soon regarding the new direction for the Rugby Championship schedule.

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