Wallabies v All Blacks 2020: old school month-long tours to boost rugby
A return to a ‘blood and guts’ trans-Tasman tradition could be the injection sorely needs this year, with the Wallabies and All Blacks to maximise the limited Test matches on offer in 2020.
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Old school tours to both sides of the Tasman may be an exciting back-to-the-future solution to maximise the power of the only Wallabies’ Tests that may be possible this year.
Imagine? The All Blacks touring Australia for a month in October before the Wallabies do the same by heading to New Zealand for November.
The absurdity of the Wallabies going through all the health hoops to fly to, say, Wellington for a one-off Test just doesn’t stack up to truly maximising that travel blessing when it is possible.
A Wallabies squad could fly to NZ to play the Chiefs, Crusaders and Blues as well as the All Blacks.
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Because the All Blacks are scheduled to play in Brisbane and Melbourne this season, the flipside could be the Kiwis playing the NSW Waratahs and ACT Brumbies and the two Tests.
All the Super Rugby team markets covered. Tick.
Better still, make the soon-to-be-unveiled domestic competition in Australia have some real meaning for the four Super Rugby sides and the Western Force.
The top two finishers earn a shot at history - facing the haka and the mighty All Blacks.
Broadcaster Fox Sports would jump at such a menu because it taps into the rare buzz of the Super Rugby sides facing the British and Irish Lions in sellouts when they last toured in 2013.
Rugby Australia has trumpeted amateur era staples like 3pm kick-offs as miracle-working in recent years so why not push for a real prize like the first Wallabies tour of NZ since Nick Farr-Jones led the team in 1990.
With Argentina this week banning all incoming and outgoing flights until September 1, more and more it appears that an Australia-NZ bubble will be the only bet for any Test rugby.
New Zealand Rugby is open to all ideas as chairman Brent Impey said when announcing a $6.9 million loss for 2019 and being in “survival mode” in this health crisis.
“We’re in a totally new era and I don't think that anything we've had in the past operates as foundation for what we're going to do in the future,” Impey said of competition rethinks.
Both rugby nations have never been more open-minded out of necessity.
RA executive chairman Paul McLean spoke to Impey last week and said there was regular dialogue between senior figures in both governing bodies.
“The conversations between Australia and NZ have been happening for a month because we are in the same potential space in terms of looking at what could work this year with the big question mark over international travel,” McLean said.
McLean revealed he had spoken with Glasgow-based Wallabies coach Dave Rennie on Wednesday with a clear message “the RA board is 100 per cent with you” after the Raelene Castle resignation.
There were 26 potential competition plans swirling around for Aussie teams at one point.
Some are already in the bin but a July 4 start date for club rugby in Brisbane with a late October grand final is one firming target.
The May 14 meeting of the National Cabinet, with some specific detail of potentially relaxed guidelines for sporting activities, will give more clarity.
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