The limited travel bubble gives the All Blacks an added hope of being home for Christmas, but one big hurdle remains

A limited travel bubble with Australia could help the All Blacks return home in the Christmas saga, but it would still need the Rugby Championship draw modified or shortened by a week.

And given the current tensions between Sanzaar’s partners, there are no guarantees of that.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison opened doors at the borders of New South Wales and the Northern Territory for New Zealand passengers, starting on October 16, with no quarantine period required.

Friday’s announcement will mean that neither the All Blacks nor the Wallabies will have to go through the isolation process administered upon entering Australia for the Rugby Championship, following the two Bledisloe Cup events to be played in New Zealand later this year. month, as long as they get to New South. Welsh.

READ MORE:
* PM Jacinda Ardern reiterates that the quarantine rules will not be changed for the All Blacks, but Christmas hopes remain.
* ‘The schedule is not our fault’: Rugby Australia is not responsible for the All Blacks missing Christmas
* NZ Rugby boss Mark Robinson points finger at Australians in line for Rugby Championship
* The All Blacks were forced to miss Christmas with their families while playing in the Rugby Championship
* Which player rebels? All Blacks coach Ian Foster expects full participation for Rugby Championship

But more importantly, if the current draw and the Queensland border closures hold, Friday’s announcement will not be a game changer for the All Blacks or Wallabies, who are scheduled to play their first Rugby Championship game. in Brisbane on November 7, as did South. Africa and Argentina.

Currently, there is a two-week isolation period left after entering Queensland.

Even if the first week of the Rugby Championship were moved to New South Wales, it is unlikely that South Africa and Argentina would agree to the proposed six-week Rugby Championship being moved forward a week just because the All Blacks and Wallabies do not have to get involved. quarantine. .

Especially considering the fact that the two countries have not played at the national level as has been the case with New Zealand and Australia.

It is highly unlikely that South Africa and Argentina will be afforded the same luxury of not having a 14-day quarantine, even if they arrive in New South Wales.

The scheduled six-week Rugby Championship competition that would not end until December 12, has led to a dispute between Sanzaar’s partners.

The All Blacks have been infuriated by the 14-day quarantine process upon arrival home from Australia, but they would miss Christmas Day with their families because they would not come out of controlled isolation until December 27.

“Our expectation and understanding had been that we would be out [of quarantine] the 20 or 21 [of December]”Said All Blacks captain Sam Cane. He also said, “We are not going to turn around and accept this.”

New Zealand Rugby, which says it is working on a number of scenarios to bring the All Blacks home to their families on Christmas Day, remains defiant because they did not agree to play the weekend of December 12 because it meant their players would not. they would be home in time for Christmas, despite a report from Australia suggesting they would.

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said on Friday that, at this stage, New Zealand would not open its borders to visitors from New South Wales and the Northern Territory without the quarantine process.

That means that if Sanzaar’s partners don’t agree to advance the giveaway or reduce it to a five-week competition and Ardern doesn’t open a similar bubble in the opposite direction for travelers from New South Wales and the Northern Territory, the Home for Christmas saga can be set to last.

“There was an agreement based on day 5 [of December being the All Blacks’ final game], we believe that Sanzaar did not comply with that, so we have put some solutions [forward]so we’ll wait and see, ”All Blacks coach Ian Foster said. Stuff Thursday.

Regardless of the main issue of when players will get home to New Zealand, Friday’s change could mean that Foster will no longer need to name an additional 11 players to expand his team from 35 men to 46, as weeks two to five of the Championship Rugby are. scheduled to take place in New South Wales.

Without a 14-day quarantine period to enter New South Wales, those 11 players could remain on hold in New Zealand.

Ardern has previously reiterated that the quarantine rules will not be changed to allow the All Blacks to have Christmas with their families.