Rugby Championship 2020: New Zealand rugby is furious over schedule that could see the All Blacks spend Christmas in quarantine

New Zealand rugby is furious after the announcement of the Rugby Championship schedule that has the All Blacks playing their last game in Australia on Saturday December 12, which is a change from the original planning.

The latest scheduled clash against the Wallabies means players and staff will be trapped in 14-day managed isolation over Christmas, a situation NZR hoped to avoid.

Sanzaar and the Rugby Australia hosts announced the match schedule for the Championship, with the All Blacks scheduled to play Australia in Brisbane on Saturday 7 November and Argentina the following Saturday in Sydney on 14 November.

The team is scheduled to play back-to-back tests against South Africa in Sydney on November 21 and Newcastle on Saturday November 28, with a second test against Argentina on Saturday December 5 in Sydney and a final game scheduled against the Wallabies. in Sydney on Saturday December 12th.

NZR CEO Mark Robinson said the published schedule went against his plans that the All Blacks’ last game would be on December 5.

“We worked on the understanding and all of our planning and scheduling was based on the All Blacks last game being on December 5 to give our players and management time to get home, undertake the 14 day quarantine in New Zealand. , and then be with their families at Christmas, as will be the case with the other three teams in the tournament, “Robinson said.

“We understand business considerations in programming. However, the well-being of our people is an incredibly important factor in this as well.

“We are committed to playing in the Rugby Championship and we know that match scheduling has been a complex and dynamic issue to resolve, especially with quarantine protocols, but we have not accepted this schedule and we are disappointed with the announcement.

“We will now work on the issues with Rugby Australia and Sanzaar and we believe there are other solutions within the Rugby Championship window.”

The newly announced schedule comes after some players expressed that it will be difficult to leave their young families behind for several weeks.

All Blacks Richie Mo’unga and TJ Perenara have recently welcomed newborn babies, while Beauden Barrett and Sevu Reece are also expecting their first children in the coming weeks.

The Rugby Championship 2020 schedule

First round: Saturday, November 7, 2020

Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane

Argentina v South Africa
Australia in New Zealand

Second round – Saturday, November 14

Bankwest Stadium, Sydney

New Zealand v Argentina
South Africa v Australia

Third round – Saturday, November 21

ANZ Stadium, Sydney

New Zealand v South Africa
Australia vs Argentina

Fourth round: Saturday, November 28

McDonald Jones Stadium, Newcastle

Argentina vs Australia
South Africa v New Zealand

Fifth round – Saturday, December 5

Bankwest Stadium, Sydney

Argentina v New Zealand
Australia vs South Africa

Sixth round – Saturday, December 12

ANZ Stadium, Sydney

South Africa v Argentina
Australia in New Zealand