[ad_1]
Fake images There is a chance that New Zealand rugby fans may see players like the Stephen Perofeta of the Blues in action against the Crusaders as early as next month. PHOTO: GETTY IMAGES
OPINION: Once NZ Rugby has been informed of what is allowed under Alert Level 2, you should follow the example of the Australian Rugby League Commission and let us know what you have planned for your professional competitions.
Rugby fans are quite rightly desperate to find out more about Super Rugby and Miter 10 Cup.
Since New Zealand was closed due to Covid-19, NZ Rugby, like many companies, has had no choice but to take the booster position and assess the harm that comes with being below levels 4 and 3.
There can be no complaints about that score.
READ MORE:
* New Zealand rugby bosses warn: NPC Superpower is not the best way to go
* Coronavirus: New Zealand sport undergoes major changes due to travel restrictions
* Indigenous players call for withdrawal of Australia’s national anthem from NRL All Stars match
But now New Zealand appears to have the upper hand in fighting the pandemic, NZ Rugby may be on the verge of asking their professional athletes to return to work.
We have already started to get information on dribbles and drabs from various sources.
Rugby supporters, the biggest stakeholders in the game, deserve more than that when we move to level two.
A couple of weeks ago, Crusaders coach Scott Robertson told former British and Irish midfielder Will Greenwood on a podcast that Super Rugby will return in the form of a 10-week national competition, followed by the Miter 10 Cup.
A North v South party may also form.
On Monday, Impey told Newstalk ZB that, depending on government policy when the alert level changes from three to two, the “best hope” was to have Super Rugby on our TV screens again in mid-June.
For obvious reasons, some, or all, of those games will be in front of the crowds.
Sports and Recreation Minister Grant Robertson said a return to professional sports might be possible at level two. This is all very encouraging.
Meanwhile, the NRL is trying to restart its competition by May 28.
There have been criticisms, some of them in the corner of the rah-rah code.
Flatterers of the 15-man code say rugby is OK and that Australian Rugby League Commissioner President Peter V’landland and his colleagues have been in too much of a hurry.
Everyone’s health and preventing the spread of the virus should take priority. No one can dispute that.
Fake images Shaun Stevenson (R) of the Chiefs looks to fend off hurricanes Ben Lam (L) during the Super Rugby round seven game at Hamilton in March. PHOTO: GETTY IMAGES
The flip side of these arguments is that the ARLC cannot be accused of keeping its game’s supporters in the dark, or of failing to promote the NRL, even when there have been no games. There has been a constant flow of information.
Super Rugby is guaranteed not to start later this month. Athletes will need about a month to prepare for New Zealand’s tough derbies.
Carrying weights in the garage and running between cones in the local park is not a substitute for organized training against other professionals or receiving guidance from strength and conditioning coaches. Not even close.
NZ Rugby will convey to coaches, players and managers the message that they must comply with government guidelines.
Fake images New Zealand Rugby President Brent Impey.
Confidence will play an important role in reviving this new streamlined tournament. The multibillion-dollar industry cannot afford to have a pair of assholes who put the livelihoods of hundreds of people at risk.
Last Thursday, Impey said that NZ Rugby will survive the financial crisis caused by the pandemic, but warned that his organization will record a loss in the “tens of millions”.
It is gloomy. But there is also hope. The NRL, whether people agree with its methods or not, has led the way.
NZ Rugby will certainly watch and learn from the NRL’s successes and mistakes. Has to.
An early start to Super Rugby could depend on it.
