A decision should be made tonight about where the rest of the Rugby Championship will be held, with the All Blacks likely to play the third Bledisloe Cup test in Perth next weekend, according to the players' boss Rob Nichol.
Ardie Savea Photo: Photosport
New Zealand Rugby has come under fire from Rugby Australia and Sanzaar after NZR announced on Friday the All Blacks would not be travelling to Western Australia over the weekend as originally planned, citing uncertainty over how the tournament would play out.
Head of the New Zealand Rugby Players' Association (NZRPA) Nichol told RNZ he's confident a resolution to the Rugby Championship hosting quandary will be found and that the All Blacks will play the Wallabies in Perth on September 4.
"The parties are meeting tonight. They should by then have a response as to whether Queensland can host the Rugby Championship, but probably most importantly whether they can host South Africa and Argentina on a quarantine for two weeks where they can train. If that's not able to be achieved, the Rugby Championship won't be able to be held in Australia.
"Then the options are the UK and Europe or South Africa. With probably the UK and Europe the favoured one, but that's a decision for Sanzaar to make."
Nichol said the All Blacks will play the third Bledisloe Cup test in Perth this weekend, so long as the rest of the Rugby Championship schedule is confirmed.
"If Queensland can host those two teams (South Africa and Argentina) and stage the Rugby Championship, you can almost guarantee the All Blacks will be straight on a plane at the end of the week and they'll play that test in Perth on the 3rd or 4th of September.
"Alternatively, if the Rugby Championship ends up in the UK and Europe or potentially South Africa and it's confirmed, the same thing will happen because the All Blacks could go to Perth and play that test and then Australia (Wallabies) and the All Blacks can get on a plane and go to wherever the rest of the Rugby Championship is."
It will be a huge challenge facing @Springboks in the Fortinet #TRC2021.
— All Blacks (@AllBlacks) August 22, 2021
Rugby Australia slammed NZR's move not to send the All Blacks to Perth for the original test date of August 28 and the Wallabies coach Dave Rennie was left fuming after he claimed the move was announced without telling his team.
"I'm bloody angry. Our boys all found out through social media," said Rennie.
"I thought 'New Zealand Rugby didn't even have the respect to consult Rugby Australia about their decision', so that's hugely disappointing.
"I feel like there's only one of us doing what's in the best interest of the game.
"Last year, we went to New Zealand to ensure the games were played for the benefit of both countries.
"We quarantined in Wellington for two weeks. The expectation was we made a commitment to go there this year, they'd come here and they haven't honoured. It tells you more about them than us I reckon."
Over the weekend the NZR chief executive Mark Robinson refuted claims RA not been consulted before the All Blacks pulled out having won the opening two encounters in Auckland earlier in the month and his views were backed by Nichol.
"The decision that New Zealand, Argentina and South Africa have made has all been vindicated.
"We started last week with the idea that Argentina and South Africa would travel to New South Wales and quarantine there for two weeks and train and New Zealand would travel to Perth, play this weekend and then all of the countries would then meet up in Perth for the rest of the Rugby Championship.
"But, by Tuesday night NSW had said 'No we won't accept South Africa and Argentina' and Western Australia said 'We won't hold the Rugby Championship'.
"So, the only option for Australia now is that Queensland steps up and agrees to host Argentina and South Africa in a quarantine facility and allows them to train, then we hold the Rugby Championship in Queensland.
"Everyone gave Friday lunchtime as the deadline to know that if New Zealand was going to travel (to Perth) and if Argentina and South Africa were going to get on the charter flight yesterday and fly into Queensland.
"Queensland couldn't confirm by then. So, Argentina and South Africa basically cancelled the charter flight, they're still in South Africa, and New Zealand said 'We don't want the risk of flying to Perth, playing a game of rugby and then having to spend another eight weeks there with no rugby to play and then go on an end of year tour, because our team can't get back into the country once we leave, because we don't have any MIQ spots until the 23rd of November.
"This was a completely fair and reasonable decision. It wasn't even a decision not to go, it was actually just unfeasible to go. Argentina and South Africa determined the same thing.
"Every party was full aware of it. It's a storm in a tea cup...I don't see why this had to blow up the way it did."
-RNZ
