The Rugby Championship fixtures unveiled, historic first for Wallabies

The All Blacks are furious they may have to spend Christmas in quarantine after the schedule for the Rugby Championship was unveiled.

The Wallabies have not played since last year’s Rugby World Cup, but the dates for their next tournament have finally been unveiled.

New Zealand Rugby is fuming after Thursday’s announcement of the Rugby Championship schedule, which has the All Blacks playing their last match in Australia on Saturday, December 12.

The last scheduled clash against the Wallabies means players and staff will be stuck in 14-day managed isolation over Christmas, a situation NZR were hoping to avoid.

NZR chief executive Mark Robinson said the released schedule went against plans for the last All Blacks match to be held on December 5.

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“We were working on the understanding and all our planning and scheduling was on the basis that the All Blacks’ last match would be on December 5 to give our players and management time to get home, undertake the 14 days’ quarantine back in New Zealand, and then be with their families for Christmas, as will be the case for the other three teams in the tournament,” Robinson said.

“We understand the commercial considerations in the scheduling. However, the wellbeing of our people is an incredibly important factor in this also.

“We are committed to playing in the Rugby Championship and we know the scheduling of matches has been a complex and dynamic issue to work through, especially with quarantine protocols, but we haven’t agreed to this schedule and are disappointed at the announcement.

“We will now work through the issues with Rugby Australia and SANZAAR and believe that there are other solutions within the Rugby Championship window.”

The All Blacks perform the Haka in Auckland.

Fixtures for the highly-anticipated Rugby Championship were unveiled on Thursday, with a cluster of back-to-back matches scheduled across the east coast of Australia.

The four-nation event was postponed due to the coronavirus epidemic, with fears the Southern Hemisphere’s premier rugby tournament would not go ahead due to strict travel restrictions.

But after months of uncertainty, SANZAAR confirmed Australia would host the six-week Championship, which commences at Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane on Saturday, November 7.

Squads from Argentina, South Africa, New Zealand and Australia will be kept apart in isolation bubbles in NSW throughout the competition, which will be monitored by police.

The New Zealand Government’s unwillingness to negotiate biosecurity protocols resulted in the Kiwis being robbed of hosting any matches in the competition.

The 2020 Rugby Championship will be the South African rugby team’s first match since they won last year’s World Cup final against England in Japan.

In a first for Tier One rugby nations, the tournament will feature Test match double-headers at the same venue.

The Wallabies before a Bledisloe clash against New Zealand in 2018.

SANZAAR chief executive Andy Marinos said: “It has taken a lot of hard work to get to this point, but we are delighted that we can now confirm the match dates and venues for The Rugby Championship 2020. The Rugby Championship is one of the game’s showpiece events and includes some of the best rugby talent in the world.

“While the rescheduling and reconfiguration of the Super Rugby season has not been ideal, all the member unions have been committed in getting rugby back on the field and the culmination of this will be the TRC in Australia. I would like to thank all of our Unions and their staff for their dedication and hard work since the onset of this pandemic. Our Broadcasters and Commercial partners have been fantastic in working with us and continually adapting in what has been a very dynamic environment.

“The six double-header Saturdays are a first for the tournament and will produce an exciting feast of rugby for spectators at the venues who will actually be getting two world-class international tests for the price of one entry ticket.”

Rugby Australia interim chief executive Rob Clarke said: “What a fantastic tournament ahead for fans in Australia. Six unmissable back-to-back double-headers featuring four of the very best Test nations in World Rugby – all in our backyard.

“This really is a once in a lifetime event and I want to thank our terrific Government partners, in Destination New South Wales, as well as Gladys Berejiklian and her New South Wales Government in making this tournament possible.”

Kick-off times will be confirmed over the coming weeks, and tickets will go on sale on Thursday, October 8.

— With NZ Herald

The Wallabies during the 2019 Rugby World Cup in Japan.

THE RUGBY CHAMPIONSHIP 2020 FIXTURES

Round One — Saturday, November 7

Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane

Argentina v South Africa

Australia v New Zealand

Round Two — Saturday, November 14

Bankwest Stadium, Sydney

New Zealand v Argentina

South Africa v Australia

Round Three — Saturday, November 21

ANZ Stadium, Sydney

New Zealand v South Africa

Australia v Argentina

Round Four — Saturday, November 28

McDonald Jones Stadium, Newcastle

Argentina v Australia

South Africa v New Zealand

Round Five – Saturday, December 5

Bankwest Stadium, Sydney

Argentina v New Zealand

Australia v South Africa

Round Six – Saturday, December 12

ANZ Stadium, Sydney

South Africa v Argentina

Australia v New Zealand

WALLABIES SQUAD

Jermaine Ainsley (3 Tests, Melbourne Rebels, 25)

Allan Alaalatoa (37 Tests, Brumbies, 26)

Tom Banks (6 Tests, Brumbies, 26)

Angus Bell* (uncapped, NSW Waratahs, 19)

Filipo Daugunu* (uncapped, Queensland Reds, 25)

Pone Fa’amausili* (uncapped, Melbourne Rebels, 23)

Folau Fainga’a (12 Tests, Brumbies, 25)

Jake Gordon (1 Test, NSW Waratahs, 27)

Ned Hanigan (20 Tests, NSW Waratahs, 25)

Will Harrison* (uncapped, NSW Waratahs, 21)

Dane Haylett-Petty (37 Tests, Melbourne Rebels, 31)

Reece Hodge (39 Tests, Melbourne Rebels, 26)

Michael Hooper (99 Tests, NSW Waratahs, 28)

Tom Horton* (uncapped, NSW Waratahs, 23)

Trevor Hosea* (uncapped, Melbourne Rebels, 20)

Len Ikitau* (uncapped, Brumbies, 21)

Harry Johnson-Holmes (1 Test, NSW Waratahs, 23)

Marika Korobiete (28 Tests, Melbourne Rebels, 28)

Noah Lolesio* (uncapped, Brumbies, 20)

Jack Maddocks (7 Tests, NSW Waratahs, 23)

Tate McDermott* (uncapped, Queensland Reds, 22)

Fraser McReight* (uncapped, Queensland Reds, 21)

James O’Connor (52 Tests, Queensland Reds, 30)

Brandon Paenga-Amosa (4 Tests, Queensland Reds, 24)

Hunter Paisami* (uncapped, Queensland Reds, 22)

Jordan Petaia (3 Tests, Queensland Reds, 20)

Matt Philip (3 Tests, Melbourne Rebels, 26)

Joe Powell (4 Tests, Brumbies, 26)

James Ramm* (uncapped, NSW Waratahs, 22)

Lukh an Salakaia- Loto (21 Tests, Queensland Reds, 24)

Pete Samu (9 Tests, Brumbies, 28)

Rob Simmons (100 Tests, NSW Waratahs, 31)

Irae Simone* (uncapped, Brumbies, 25)

Scott Sio (63 Tests, Brumbies, 28)

James Slipper (96 Tests, Brumbies, 31)

Lachie Swinton* (uncapped, NSW Waratahs, 23)

Matt To’omua (52 Tests, Melbourne Rebels, 30)

Taniela Tupou (19 Tests, Queensland Reds, 24)

Jordan Uelese (9 Tests, Melbourne Rebels, 23)

Rob Valetini (1 Test, Brumbies, 22)

Nic White (31 Tests, Brumbies, 30)

Harry Wi lson* (uncapped, Queensland Reds, 21)

Liam Wright (2 Tests, Queensland Reds, 22)

Tom Wright* (uncapped, Brumbies, 23)

Originally published as The Rugby Championship fixtures unveiled, historic first for Wallabies