Aaron Smith and Sam Cane for the All Blacks
Anne-Christine POUJOULAT / AFP
A number of All Blacks could decide to sit out the Rugby Championship following Friday’s announcement that the tournament will be played in Australia.
According to a report from Stuff.co.nz, the fact that players would need to quarantine for 14 days on arrival in Australia and then again for 14 days when they return home to New Zealand has several players seriously considering their options.
Chief among their concerns is that if the Rugby Championship is played from 7 November to 12 December as proposed, a two-week quarantine following the conclusion of the competition would mean players would only emerge from isolation on 27 December and miss spending Christmas day with their families.
There is also the added worry that in the case of any kind of family emergency, players would not be able to travel home and be with their loved ones on a moment’s notice.
There are also specific complications for playmaker Beauden Barrett, whose wife Hannah is expecting a baby girl at the end of the month, as well as Richie Mo’unga and TJ Perenara, who recently became fathers for the first time.
NZ Rugby chief executive Mark Robinson acknowledged the issue on Friday.
“We want to make sure whoever is representing the All Blacks does so in a safe environment where they feel happy and comfortable,” Robinson said.
“We are hugely supportive of our players we know they have gone through an incredibly tough time this year. This challenge of what they are about to undertake is going to be significant and we will back them and their families in whatever way we need to ensure they are looked after. If that means they are unable to assemble or travel we’ll hear that out and support that.”
Robinson said there was an opportunity for teams in the Rugby Championship to play their last match on the weekend of 5th and 6th December, thus being able to complete their quarantine before Christmas, but that would naturally leave other teams carrying the burden.
“Those conversations have been active between Sanzaar, Rugby Australia and New Zealand for some time,” Robinson said.
“We know in Australia there are a lot of teams that have been away from their homes for some time. Our guys will be on the road for nine or 10 weeks so we’re very mindful of where they’ll be at Christmas.”
Negotiations are expected to continue in the coming days and weeks, but with little room to maneuver the participation of some All Black players is currently considered doubtful.
– TEAMtalk media
