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Conrad Smith breaks through Fiji’s defense during the All Blacks’ last test against Fiji in 2011.
New Zealand Rugby has revealed ambitious plans to play 15 All Blacks events next year, starting with the first game against Fiji in more than a decade, if Covid-19 allows it of course.
Chief Executive Mark Robinson gave an early look at the proposed 2021 international schedule at a press conference in Wellington on Thursday, but said the opposition for two tests had not yet been finalized.
The All Blacks played only six games in 2020 due to the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic. However, NZ Rugby’s proposal could see Ian Foster’s men take to the field a whopping 15 times in the space of six months.
SKY SPORTS
All Blacks coach Ian Foster reviews the season on Sky’s “The Breakdown.”
Robinson said the All Blacks planned to start the year by hosting Fiji and Italy (twice) in July before playing at home and away to their traditional Rugby Championship rivals Argentina, Australia and South Africa.
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The All Blacks have not played against Fiji since their 60-14 win at Dunedin’s Carisbrook Stadium in 2011.
The All Blacks were scheduled to complete 2021 with tests against Italy, Ireland and France, but Robinson said the NZR was eager to secure two additional matches against Northern Hemisphere opposition abroad.
The nations of Asia and North America, as well as Europe, are being considered for those two additional tests.
“The All Blacks schedule for 2021 is starting to take shape. We are looking to host, dependent on Covid, Italy and Fiji in July, ”said Robinson.
“We are also… looking forward to finalizing the Rugby Championship schedule, as well as the Bledisloe Cup and a third Bledisloe next year.
“We are also looking for opportunities to play games outside of our regulation 9 [international] window in November. At the moment we are scheduled to play against Italy, Ireland and France in those three weeks, but we are seeing matches on both shoulders of that match list in November or possibly two matches before our first match in Europe against Italy.
Brendon Thorne / Getty Images
All Blacks winger Caleb Clarke throws himself in to score against Los Pumas during this year’s Tri-Nations.
“We have a relatively new group of All Blacks coming together and they’ve had a very truncated schedule this year, so we want to provide opportunities for them to play.
“Obviously, there are also financial considerations, which go with these decisions, but we have to balance that with the well-being of the players.
“There are opportunities in areas like the United States, Asia and the United Kingdom and Europe that we are open to at the moment, and we are working very hard on them and making good progress,
“But again, we probably won’t announce until we know a lot more in the first quarter. [of the year] or beyond with respect to those accessories. “
Fiona Goodall / Getty Images
Mark Robinson, NZ Rugby boss: “The All Blacks schedule for 2021 is starting to take shape.”
Robinson said that NZ Rugby was “open” to the possibility of hosting the entire Rugby Championship in one country again, after Australia hosted this year’s competition due to travel restrictions.
However, he said, the preference was to go back to the traditional format in which the All Blacks would play the other three nations at home and away. That would also be allowed by Covid-19.
“We hope that by the end of July and in August we will be traveling, and we are working as closely as possible with the government and health officials around the possibilities of what the quarantine could look like and to get a better idea of what vaccines they might be available at that time. “
