It's part of the "Bledisloe Cup Festival".
The purpose is the lead-in promo for the Bled I match – Thursday, Friday and Saturday (same as last year) which includes business lunch + racing, golf and fans' day – to drum up interest and publicity, give away ticket prizes to the match, etc., right before the game. The "weekend before they fly to the states" palaver won't work for that when the show has already left town.
The players' job is to play good rugby.
That's not reliant on working every weekend; the opposite is the case. They'll need a few weekends off with their own families instead of signing autographs for yours.
Over the next four months, the players probably only get three weekends at home. Some might get four.
And they'll be doing another "meet and greet" on the way out the door for the States – but that departure is not on a weekend.
I love this : The players' job is to play good rugby - yeah, and its mine to watch....on TV as I am too busy to put myself out to got to games that pay the wage of under performing Wallaby players.
I have seen all this banter before. ARU is doing this, players are doing that, the words self entitled and doing enough, too bad if its a Thursday, sorry but they players that we employ and pay more than most in society will ever earn are unavailable.........
In the mean time if we all just want to to a little thread hopping it seems we cant do enough. The dollars are dwindling, we are struggling with participation numbers, fee's are out of control, the ratings are declining.....how much did the ARU lose last FY?
I don't get the benefit of playing in or even winning a WC (if we are that lucky) if no one is watching and the kiddies all off at NRL or AFL training?
Its a once in a four year sacrifice. FFS we are talking about working long weeks for four months to live your dream. Lets compare this to the real word, say I want to join the army - well its 80 days solid basic training away from home for what 60k if your lucky?
All good though, its not like putting yourself out for fans or supporters will make any difference right? Just like me not opening up my business on weekends so I spend time with family wont hurt my business. Its not like we pay their wage right?
I fear the day that we discover that the rusted-on were just ballast on the sinking ship.