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Photographers / Sunday Star Times
Murray Mexted, pictured with the late Jock Hobbs running in support, played 72 games for the All Blacks between 1979 and 1985.
Former All Black Murray Mexted believes New Zealand communities were among the biggest losers after the Rugby Championship host rights were awarded to Australia.
While complacent quarantine protocols had been relaxed to allow the Wallabies to prepare for the Bledisloe Cup tryouts in Wellington and Auckland on October 11 and 18, Mexted was disappointed that the New Zealand government had not been able to accommodate the Springboks and Pumas in the same way for the event. Rugby Championship.
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The All Blacks hooker faces the prospect of nine weeks away from his family for the Rugby Championship.
Sanzaar felt he had no choice but to award the Rugby Championship to Australia due to the inflexible New Zealand government quarantine rules, which would not allow entire teams to train together.
Mexted was disappointed that the New Zealand public had been denied the opportunity to support the All Blacks at home during the Rugby Championship.
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“There’s no question that when the All Blacks are performing, we feel good about ourselves,” Mexted said. Stuff.
Ross Setford / NZPA
All Black Murray Mexted in a test against the British and Irish Lions at Eden Park, Auckland in 1983. The All Blacks won 38-6.
“I not only speak as a former All Black, I speak as an athlete who appreciates the value that sport, not just rugby, plays in all communities.
Mexted, an athletic No. 8 who played 72 games for the All Blacks between 1979 and 1985, believes that NZ Rugby, originally listed as Sanzaar’s favorite choice to host the tournament, should host all 12 tests over a six-week period.
Instead, Rugby Australia will now have the satisfaction of hosting what some have called a “mini World Cup”; Although all entries will be divided among the four participating countries, RA now has an excellent opportunity to promote the sport and its country to a global audience.
Stuff
All Blacks (from left) Allan Hewson Murray Mexted, Stu Wilson and Bernie Fraser celebrate their team’s 33-8 victory over the Wallabies in 1982.
Mexted said he was “absolutely shocked” that the New Zealand government ripped the rug out from under NZ Rugby.
“You can’t sit on the fence, you have to go,” Mexted said. “I often say on the rugby field ‘if a hole appears, you have to take it.’
“We had the opportunity as a country to take advantage of this position we are in; as an example to the world as a country that seeks to keep our borders pure, which allowed us to play the magnificent Super Rugby Aotearoa that was marketed throughout the world.
Phil Reid / Stuff
Wellington’s All Blacks Stu Wilson (left), Allan Hewson, Murray Mexted, Jamie Salmon and Bernie Fraser display the Ranfurly Shield after a successful challenge against Waikato in 1981.
“We had the perfect opportunity to continue to win the Rugby Championship.”
Mexted believed that quarantining the three visiting teams in picturesque Queenstown would also have been an ideal way to promote New Zealand.
If New Zealand returns to level 1, the fans could return to the stadiums. The success of Super Rugby Aotearoa, especially in Auckland, was proof that the public was eager to see world-class sporting competitions.
Supplied
All Black Murray Mexted runs in support of the great Australian Nick Farr-Jones during a festival in Tawa in the 1980s.
Mexted said that Super Rugby Aotearoa had proven to be one of the most exciting national competitions he had ever seen and he hoped that the Rugby Championship would be equally compelling.
Although he is reluctant to criticize the government, he remains puzzled that it is not prepared to meet Sanzaar’s demands.
Rugby, he noted, had been New Zealand’s standard bearer for more than a century and when the All Blacks traveled abroad, they generated positive publicity due to their success.
“In fact, it’s something we are proud of in New Zealand: we can consistently be ranked in the top two or three teams.
“Any New Zealander traveling abroad will know that if he travels abroad, say to a place like London, the only time he hears about New Zealand in the newspapers or the media is when the All Blacks are in town or out. travel.
“It is something that most expats are proud of.”
