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The All Blacks will have to choose between Christmas with their families or playing in the Rugby Championship.
New Zealand Rugby CEO Mark Robinson was furious after Sanzaar launched a draw for the Rugby Championship that will force All Blacks players and staff to miss Christmas with their families.
The Australia-based tournament draw has the All Blacks playing their final test of the tournament against the Wallabies on December 12.
That would mean that unless the New Zealand government grants players and staff a special waiver, they won’t be able to complete their administered isolation when they return to the country until December 27. So on Christmas Day he would be locked up in a hotel.
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Hundreds of people attended the All Blacks public training session, and then got the odd autograph.
New Zealand Rugby CEO Mark Robinson said he is disappointed and surprised with the schedule.
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“We were working on the understanding and all of our planning and scheduling was based on the fact that the last All Blacks game would be 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 in a statement from NZ Rugby.
“We understand business considerations in scheduling. However, the well-being of our people is also an incredibly important factor in this.
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Mark Robinson says New Zealand Rugby would work on solutions that would prevent the All Blacks from missing Christmas.
“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,” said Robinson.
Due to the tight schedule, caused by two Bledisloe Cup events being played in New Zealand and October and the need for both teams to self-quarantine when they returned to Australia, NZ Rugby and the NZ Rugby Players Association expected them to go mid-week games at the Rugby Championship, so it can be completed in time for everyone to be home on Christmas Day.
However, it appears that Sanzaar has ignored those pleas and released a schedule that is likely to upset Springboks and Pumas players as well.
Due to these dates, some All Blacks may decide to skip the Rugby Championship and NZRPA CEO Rob Nichol recently told Stuff that nothing will be imposed on any player who chooses not to participate.
The All Blacks begin their Rugby Championship campaign with a test against the Wallabies in Brisbane on 7 November.
The Rugby Championship 2020 schedule
First round – Saturday, November 7, 2020
Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane
Argentina vs South Africa Australia vs 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
MORE TO COME
