Rugby Championship in an Aussie bubble?

[Blue]

Sounds like SANZAAR are considering this.

As much as I would love for test rugby to return, a tournament in NZ can only have one outcome. SA and ARGIE teams will be really undercooked (will they play any domestic rugby at all?).

SA, AU and Arg players would have to quarantine?

Meanwhile the Kiwi players come off a tough comp and rest up at home.

Nah, pass.

 

[Derpus]

Sounds like SANZAAR are considering this.

As much as I would love for test rugby to return, a tournament in NZ can only have one outcome. SA and ARGIE teams will be really undercooked (will they play any domestic rugby at all?).

SA, AU and Arg players would have to quarantine?

Meanwhile the Kiwi players come off a tough comp and rest up at home.

Nah, pass.

I'd rather see the RC go ahead heavily favouring the ABs than no test rugby at all.

Fitness and player welfare may be a prohibitive element though. Not sure how viable it is to come into test rugby completely cold.

 

[qwerty51]

Yeah let's pass on some much needed revenue to the game. Good one.

 

[Blue]

Look, if it is on and there is a travel bubble I'd even make a plan to go there, but I cannot see the AB's lose a game.

The Saffa and Argie players who are based in UK and Ireland will be coming in with some game time but the Saffas back in SA and in Japan (unless it starts) won't have had much if anything at all.

 

[kiap]

Boks just keep the cup, sip tea?

 

[zer0]

The Saffers win one tournament and suddenly they're too good to bother with rest of us.

Smh.

 

[barbarian]

It's far from an ideal scenario, but if the alternative is to cancel the RC then it's a no brainer for me.

Though it's taxing on the players and their families, I'd love to see a three week 'warm up' period where each RC team plays the NZ Super sides, or the NZ Maori, or a PI team of some description.

That could help solve the issue of undercooked players you mention Blue, though it clearly won't be the same as a full season of footy.

 

[fatprop]

The papers also suggest each team will need to go through a quarantine period, nice concept, but how big will the squads be? Two weeks to get an injury replacement is ludicrous and will the Kiwis have the same limitations?

 

[kiap]

It's only the RC games being played in New Zealand and there are 4 Bledisloe's mooted so logic would suggest there will be 2 more in Aus after the RC. Both sides fly in to Qld? or Perth?, 14 day quarantine and game on.

According to Geerob this arvo, Bled tests could, might *potentially* go to Syd and Bris ...

Sydney rugby fans are set to become the unexpected beneficiaries of Melbourne's COVID-19 crisis as officials look for contingencies for this year's Bledisloe Cup series.​

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As the SANZAAR nations confirmed the Rugby Championship would go ahead in a hub-style model in New Zealand, the Herald has learned that Sydney's ANZ Stadium could inherit one of two Bledisloe Cup Tests set to go ahead in Australia.​

​

Contingent on Sydney's virus case load staying in check - by no means a foregone conclusion - ANZ could host the Test originally scheduled to be new Wallabies coach Dave Rennie's debut match on August 8 at Marvel Stadium.​

​

Brisbane's Suncorp Stadium was set to host the third Test in October and, given Queensland's growing position as hub-host par excellence, looks certain to retain the fixture.​

​

https://www.smh.com.au/sport/rugby-...pionship-confirmed-in-nz-20200716-p55clx.html​

 

[Wilson]

Will be interesting to see what happens there, you'd think Perth or Brisbane would be safer options for that first test, and much more likely to be able to have something like a full crowd.

 

[Dan54]

Yeah I desperate for rugby, but I really can't see it happening, and unless Aussie pulls out finger about stopping Covid , I doubt whether there will be any Test rugby at all!!

 

[Omar Comin']

The Saffa and Argie players who are based in UK and Ireland will be coming in with some game time but the Saffas back in SA and in Japan (unless it starts) won't have had much if anything at all.

I think it's a big assumption that all those European based players would come. Especially the Argentinians who've only just signed with the European teams - I could easily see a lot of them prioritising their new employers. When you add the 2 week quarantine to the length of the tournament it would be a long time away.

I hope I'm wrong but it wouldn't surprise me to see a pretty weak Argentinian side turn up. Maybe it'd be better to work out some switch with Japan. Argentina play in that northern hemisphere tournament that's being organised for November/December and Japan play in the RC.

 

[waiopehu oldboy]

A little more detail from NZR CEO Mark Robinson:

https://www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/news/article.cfm?c_id=4&objectid=12348679

https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby...w-zealand-hosting-the-2020-rugby-championship

November-December would see part but not all of the comp fall within WR (World Rugby)'s November International window & I don't see the NH Clubs releasing their bokke & Puma players for longer than they absolutely have to so how does this even work? Do SA & Arg send 40-50 players for the quarantine & first 2-3 weeks of the comp whereupon 20-odd fly back to Europe?

 

[Derpus]

A little more detail from NZR CEO Mark Robinson:

https://www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/news/article.cfm?c_id=4&objectid=12348679

https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby...w-zealand-hosting-the-2020-rugby-championship

November-December would see part but not all of the comp fall within WR (World Rugby)'s November International window & I don't see the NH Clubs releasing their bokke & Puma players for longer than they absolutely have to so how does this even work? Do SA & Arg send 40-50 players for the quarantine & first 2-3 weeks of the comp whereupon 20-odd fly back to Europe?

Can Argentina field a team of non-Europe based players?

 

[Rugbynutter39]

Bledisloe matches I see happening - RC possibly with SA included as they are starting their own Super Rugby domestic competition but hard to see Argies participating or if they do underdone and being the whipping boys.

If all matches hosted in NZ wonder whether they would have special revenue sharing arrangements as all home unions in desperate need of revenue

 

[waiopehu oldboy]

Can't paste the link atm but apparently WR (World Rugby) will look at combining the July & November International Windows which would make things easier for SA & Argentina EXCEPT for the fact it ain't gunna happen 'cos the NH Clubs ain't gunna agree to it.

 

[Derpus]

Can't paste the link atm but apparently WR (World Rugby) will look at combining the July & November International Windows which would make things easier for SA & Argentina EXCEPT for the fact it ain't gunna happen 'cos the NH Clubs ain't gunna agree to it.

How did it get set up that privately owned and independently run club comps get a veto on all matters affecting the internatjonal game? ?

 

[Dan54]

Bledisloe matches I see happening - RC possibly with SA included as they are starting their own Super Rugby domestic competition but hard to see Argies participating or if they do underdone and being the whipping boys.

If all matches hosted in NZ wonder whether they would have special revenue sharing arrangements as all home unions in desperate need of revenue

I doubt we will even see Bledisloe matches now, because of what's happening in Victoria and NSW I can't see NZ opening any travel Bubbles with Australia, until Xmas now!!

 

[kiap]

I doubt we will even see Bledisloe matches now, because of what's happening in Victoria and NSW I can't see NZ opening any travel Bubbles with Australia, until Xmas now!!

The travel bubble (while totally desirable) is not a necessary requirement for Bledisloe matches inside - or outside - NZ.

It would require other arrangements.

A bubble is for ordinary mug punters to travel in normal ways … and, sadly for you, this won't happen in 2020.

Yet cross-Tasman travel still goes on.

 

[Dan54]

I think it is requirement mate, America's cup team have had to quarantine. I happy to be wrong though.