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Thread: Optus Stadium set to host Wallabies in massive double-header of international rugby n

  1. #121
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    In case it gets p'walled

    Revealed: All Blacks test back on, Rugby Championship host confirmed

    23 Aug, 2021 05:15 PM
    3 minutes to read

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    The All Blacks will face the Wallabies in the final Bledisloe Cup test on September 4 - before moving to Queensland for the Rugby Championship. Photo / Photosport

    NZ Herald

    The All Blacks will play the third Bledisloe Cup test in Perth next Saturday, before basing themselves in Queensland for the remainder of the Rugby Championship.

    The Herald can reveal the competition, which was originally scheduled to be played in New Zealand and Australia before outbreaks of the Delta variant of Covid-19 both sides of the Tasman forced a last-minute rethink, will proceed as planned down under - despite interest in hosting it in Europe and South Africa.

    New Zealand Rugby came in for fierce criticism for deciding against leaving for Perth at the weekend, after failing to secure assurance from Rugby Australia that the Rugby Championship would go ahead.

    With New Zealand's borders shut amidst a nationwide lockdown due to the most recent community outbreak, the All Blacks face up to 15 weeks away from home.

    The Herald understands it was confirmed at a Sanzaar board meeting on Monday night that the final test in the Bledisloe Cup, already secured for a 19th straight year following the All Blacks' back-to-back wins at Eden Park, will be played at Opta Stadium in Perth on September 4. The test doubles as the All Blacks' second clash in the Rugby Championship.

    The All Blacks will then depart for Queensland for the rest of the Rugby Championship after the state government agreed to have the travelling South African and Argentinian teams quarantine there.

    Late last week, NZ Rugby cited the continued uncertainty surrounding whether Europe, Queensland or South Africa would host the four-nation tournament as the rationale for not sending the All Blacks over the weekend.

    Much of the context around NZ Rugby's decision to hold the All Blacks back at late notice, and force Rugby Australia to reschedule the third Bledisloe for a second time, was overshadowed by furious criticism – and some dubious claims, particularly those from RA chief executive Andy Marinos about a lack of consultation.

    As first reported by the Herald, Sanzaar held a chief executive meeting last Thursday where NZ Rugby boss Mark Robinson flagged issues facing the All Blacks' departure, including the challenges assembling a group of 60-odd players and management from all parts of the country with domestic flights significantly reduced while New Zealand is in lockdown.

    With no MIQ spots available for the All Blacks until November, once the team leaves New Zealand they cannot return until then. They, therefore, wanted certainty around the Rugby Championship destination before being away from home for up to 14 weeks.

    https://www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/rev...PFL3DI35NSXQA/

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  2. #122
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    Not so fast, but here's hoping...bloody AFL

    Rugby fans still waiting to hear if Bledisloe Cup clash will be played in Perth with AFL holding the key
    Nick Taylor
    The West Australian
    Mon, 23 August 2021 7:27PM
    Nick Taylor

    The Bledisloe Cup at Optus Stadium is still in limbo, not locked in for next month despite last minute talks to save the trans-Tasman clash.
    A report from New Zealand claims the game will be played on Saturday, September 4 but The West Australian can reveal that the AFL has holding rights over the stadium for that entire weekend from Friday to Sunday.
    The report claims a meeting of governing body SANZAAR on Monday night locked in the game but sources dismissed the report as premature.
    The State Government has not heard from SANZAAR and they need to tick off the All Blacks arrival to allow them to go into “soft” quarantine to train.
    Rugby Australia could not confirm a date — however it is still hoped a decision will be announced on Tuesday for the match that doubles as a Rugby Championship fixture.
    The All Blacks need to arrive at least seven days before the game that has already been postponed twice, the latest delay coming last Friday amid a growing COVID-19 cluster in New Zealand.
    Relations between RA and New Zealand Rugby have been stretched since the Kiwis announced that the All Blacks would not be flying to Perth for Saturday’s game, citing player welfare.
    The move sparked a war of words between RA chief executive Andy Marinos and his NZR counterpart Mark Robinson.
    Marinos said NZR had set unrealistic deadlines before pulling out.
    “They unilaterally discredited us, made a public statement before we even had an opportunity to further discuss. It was pretty clear to me I don’t think they really ever had any intention of playing that game on the 28th,” Marinos said.
    Robinson denied the claims, defended pulling out the All Blacks, but said September 4 was still on the cards for the game.
    “We are open to game on 4th September. We understand there might be a possibility around that, we’ll explore that,” Robinson said.
    “We are committed to playing the game and we are working really hard to find an alternative.”
    A “bloody angry” Wallabies coach Dave Rennie labelled the move disrespectful, and said they had only found out the All Blacks weren’t leaving New Zealand through social media.
    “I just feel there’s only one of us who are interested in doing what’s best for the game,” Rennie said.
    “It tells you more about them than us.”
    It is hoped that following the Perth game both sides will move to Queensland where they will be joined by the Springboks and Argentina to play out the rest of The Rugby Championship.
    If that is not possible, South Africa or Europe are being considered as options.

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  3. #123
    Immortal jargan83's Avatar
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    Looking at the AFL draw for this weekend, I don't think there will be any games here in week 2 of finals.

    I guess they may hold the booking in case the Gladys strain gets into a different state again.

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    Can't see it being much of an issue though. Unless the AFL was prepared to actually pay for the ground to not be used, they aren't going to turn away a full ground fee. So it would be put up or go away, once rugby specced a specific date. Only risk might be if the booking allowed them to delay the decision into next week before being forced to commit.

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    Immortal Contributor shasta's Avatar
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    Bledisloe Cup rescheduled in Perth, but AFL schedule dictates Optus availability - headline from front page of WA Today


    The governing bodies have agreed to play the match in Perth next weekend, but the AFL have not yet released Optus Stadium
    https://www.watoday.com.au/sport/rug...24-p58ldx.html

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  6. #126
    Veteran Sheikh's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by shasta View Post
    Bledisloe Cup rescheduled in Perth, but AFL schedule dictates Optus availability - headline from front page of WA Today

    https://www.watoday.com.au/sport/rug...24-p58ldx.html
    The governing bodies have agreed to play the match in Perth next weekend, but the AFL have not yet released Optus Stadium
    This is either the perfect opportunity for AFL to show that it can play nice with other sports, or the perfect opportunity for AFL to throw it's weight around as the "biggest sport in Australia" and screw-up the scheduling for RA.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Sheikh View Post
    This is either the perfect opportunity for AFL to show that it can play nice with other sports, or the perfect opportunity for AFL to throw it's weight around as the "biggest sport in Australia" and screw-up the scheduling for RA.
    I've just consulted my crystal ball and am foretelling option 1, with sufficient delay in communication to ensure it becomes Option 2 in fancy dress they really only need to wait until midnight Thursday to say Oh yeah, you can have it Friday and make it impossible for the Sheep Shaggers to get here in time.

    I'm confident the Arrogance will refuse to travel until everything's confirmed so they'll sit in UnZud until the red carpet is on the ground

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    C'mon the

  8. #128
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    Quote Originally Posted by Sheikh View Post
    This is either the perfect opportunity for AFL to show that it can play nice with other sports, or the perfect opportunity for AFL to throw it's weight around as the "biggest sport in Australia" and screw-up the scheduling for RA.
    I'm sure as soon as Rugby Australia agree to buy out the booking from the AFL for a price nominated by the AFL, it will be Rugby Australia's ground as desired.

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    Champion Tazzmania's Avatar
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    It looks like the All Blacks will leave on Thursday for Perth.

    Due to pending baby arrivals San Whitelock, Aaron Smith and Richie Mauanga unlikley to make the trip to Perth. They may have to head to Queensland after babies are born and likely to be faced with harder quarantine than the soft option for their Perth bound team mates

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    Last edited by Tazzmania; 24-08-21 at 15:50.
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  10. #130
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    So the Wallabies will basically be in Perth for another 2 weeks. Spending this much time in WA is unprecedented and hopefully we hear about a lot more community involvement this week. Hopefully getting out and about for the last round of juniors on Saturday and not just to the usual clubs

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    WA Bledisloe Cup clash finally locked in - but AFL will have the final say on date
    Nick Taylor
    August 24, 2021 4:31PM



    The All Blacks may have a firm grip on the Bledisloe Cup - but their trans-Tasman clash with the Wallabies at Optus Stadium is firmly in the hands of the AFL.

    After weeks of simmering hostilities between Rugby Australia and New Zealand Rugby, the battle will move from the boardroom to the stadium in the first weekend in September - but which day is unknown.

    That is because the AFL have first rights to the stadium on September 3, 4 and 5 and the Bledisloe will be played around their finals fixture schedule.

    No decision is likely before the weekend results are known, but traditionally, the AFL does not play Sunday games after the opening week of finals.

    RA chief executive Andy Marinos optimistically hopes for a decision within 24-48 hours.

    “I’m working quite closely with the stadium and deputy premier Roger Cook in trying to get finality,” Marinos said.

    “We’d like to get finality sooner rather than later, preferably before the weekend.

    “I’m hopeful we can get some confirmation in the next 24-48 hours.

    “There’s a fair bit resting on the weekend but the communication I’ve had from the stadium is that we may be in a position of clarity before then.”

    “To be honest we haven’t contemplated that. We have really been focusing on the Friday and Saturday, we’ll look at the whole weekend and get the right date.

    “I’ve got to be led by the stadium and the WA government in terms of how they see that rolling out.

    “The most important thing is to put the Test match on and deliver a really good product for the people of Western Australia who have been really patient and very co-operative, certainly the government in terms of having the flexibility to move this three times.”

    The All Blacks, who won the Bledisloe Cup for the 19th straight year after two wins in New Zealand earlier this month, will arrive in Perth on Thursday and go into “soft” quarantine.

    They will be without captain Sam Whitelock, scrum-half Aaron Smith and playmaker Richie Mo’unga who will remain in NZ for the imminent birth of children.

    Relations between RA and RNZ reached boiling point when NZR announced last Friday that the All Blacks would not fly to Perth for the August 28 game, citing player welfare issues.

    RA had already moved the game from August 21 to accommodate the Kiwis.

    Marinos said NZR had set unrealistic deadlines, made a unilateral decision and had no intention of playing this weekend.

    https://www.perthnow.com.au/sport/ru...date-c-3766513

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  12. #132
    Immortal Contributor The InnFORCEr's Avatar
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    24-48 hours is probably not the best time frame to use when talking about rugby in WA.

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    80 Minutes, 15 Positions, No Protection, Wanna Ruck?

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    Little birdie tells me Sunday September 5 with a 2pm kick off will be the date fo rescheduled Test.

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    Last edited by jargan83; 25-08-21 at 15:47.

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    Has anyone heard of the wallabies are planning any open training sessions?
    Can’t seem to find any information on any

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    Legend Contributor Alison's Avatar
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    What a load of word salad from Marinos

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