Coronavirus: All Blacks could play Wallabies four times this year; Anzac concept could be revived
Rugby Australia is getting creative in trying to fill the black hole caused by the coronavirus travel restrictions and may for the first time in 31 years revive a concept that is sure to prove popular.
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Rugby Australia is looking to add a fourth Bledisloe Cup Test against the All Blacks to the international season this year and potentially could revive the concept of an Anzac side if other Rugby Championship Tests fail to come off because of travel restrictions.
Although no details have been clarified, RA chief executive Rob Clarke said that the current three-Test series could be expanded, with two Tests to be played on both sides of the Tasman.
“We are in deep discussions with our Kiwi friends and they have the same challenges and are looking for content and so I am hopeful we can get to four, and possibly some trials games around that as well,” Clarke said.
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“If we can’t get a full TRC (Rugby Championship) because of the travel restrictions then we are looking at other things that we could do, a Wallabies versus Anzac invitation team. Something to be creative.”
The last time an Anzac XV took the field was for the 12th and final match of the 1989 British and Irish Lions tour when three All Blacks – fullback Kieran Crowley, centre Frano Botica and prop Steve McDowall — joined 12 Australians at Ballymore.
The Lions, who had won the deciding third Test 19-18 against Australia, ultimately prevailed 19-15.
Clarke admitted, meanwhile, there was merit in the suggestion by Alan Jones in his column in News Corp Australia for South Africa (which hosts the Lions in 2021) to swap tours with Australia (which will host them in 2025).
“South Africa are very keen to find a way to host the Lions. So I think those sorts of conversations would take place based on what (COVID-19) restrictions and circumstances unfold and we will watch that with interest.”
SANZAAR still is hopeful South Africa and Argentina will be sufficiently clear of COVID-19 to be able to play at least some Rugby Championship Tests.
But although Australia might be forced to stage other “invitational” games if that is not possible, Clarke believes incoming RA chairman Hamish McLennan’s plan for a State of Origin series might be unworkable this year.
“I like his big ideas but it might be a challenge this year because of so many constraints around us,” he said.
“But as a concept … look, it’s not a new concept … but I think it is one that we should look into for next year and beyond because it might have great merit.”
Clarke revealed that RA and Fox Sports had “a very constructive meeting” on Thursday at which rugby officials outlined their plans for a rebooted Super Rugby competition, scheduled to start on July 4, along with a projected schedule of Tests and other major matches.
He still was unable to state categorically whether RA was aiming at a five or six-team competition because of ongoing uncertainty over whether the federal government will give permission for the Sunwolves of Japan to enter the country.
And while he said the Western Force’s participation was looking very promising, he admitted one of the details still to be confirmed is whether the Force — or more correctly its billionaire owner Andrew Forrest — will meet its costs or whether they will be met in whole or in part by RA.
“Ultimately this competition will only take place if we have appropriate broadcast funding and to that end we had a very constructive meeting with Fox Sports yesterday where we outlined how we see this competition unfolding and the balance of the year, with the TRC and the Bledisloe Cups. and they have taken that away to digest and we will be meeting next week as a follow-up. I hope to have clarity on all of this by the end of next week because I am very conscious that July 4 is not far away.”
Longer-term, Clarke believes it is “unlikely” that a return to a 14-team Super Rugby competition will be able to take place next year, but that has created an opportunity for Australia to think outside the square for a replacement competition, or rather competitions.
“There might well be a whole range of initiatives in a relatively aligned time zone that could enable us to construct all manner of competitions and not just one competition,’’ Clarke said.
He was unable to give reassurances that all existing Super Rugby teams would be in existence next year, but he did admit that the long-term broadcast deal, while “critically important”, did not close out other options.
“If the financial pot is finite, you can look at multiple ways of making up a solution to work within your means,” Clarke said.
Origin central to new man’s plan for rugby revival
Incoming Rugby Australia chairman Hamish McLennan signalled a more enterprising style from the sport’s governing body on being named on Friday as the new director, announcing he would be pushing for a State of Origin concept for the game and a Big Bash-style Super Rugby series.
McLennan, the chairman of REA Group, a multi-billion dollar global digital advertising real estate company, will join the RA board on June 15, two days after his 54th birthday, and – barring any hiccups – should be voted in as chairman by his fellow directors. Until then, former Wallabies captain Paul McLean will remain as interim chair.
It has been a frightful couple of years for Australian rugby and McLennan, a lifelong fan since he played rugby in high school at Shore College, has suffered along with other lovers of the sport.
“It has been quite distressing,” McLennan told News Corp Australia.
“So when I was asked to join the board, I decided to jump in and help.”
Certainly he intends to tighten up the organisation which he agreed was tearing itself apart with infighting.
“We need to solve all these issues behind closed doors and the pathological leaking only hurts the game.”
It wasn’t quite a Churchillian “blood, toil, tears and sweat” speech but the former senior News Corp executive spoke boldly that if Australian rugby could survive the present onslaught, there would be brighter days ahead.
“The next few years will be lean but there are a lot of good things we are working towards including the British and Irish Lions tour (of 2025) and the World Cup bid for 2027. And if we get the World Cup, Australia won’t have a solvency issue.”
The lean years have already started and McLennan could hold out no false hope that there would not be cutbacks in Rugby Australia’s staff of around 147.
“It’s inevitable there will be job losses and we are in very testing times with the COVID-19 pandemic,” he said.
He could not say for certain that Australia’s four Super Rugby sides would survive, insisting that he had not even started with Rugby Australia at present.
He did, however, identify some areas of almost instant growth.
“I think we should be running a State of Origin series for rugby,” McLennan said.
“I flagged this when I was at Channel 10 but we should be running the State of Origin series the night after the rugby league game and we would be creating a new set of (television) rights that would be bringing new money into the coffers of Rugby Australia.”
Similarly, he believed that the “exciting discussions” taking place around law changes – with the four Super Rugby coaches and the group headed by former Wallaby Barry Honan independently doing groundbreaking research on how the game could be improved – could lead to some spectacular innovations for Super Rugby.
Certainly if he can reinvigorate Super Rugby the way he and former Cricket Australia boss James Sutherland did in re-imaging how the Big Bash could be played, it offers the game a fighting chance to re-establish itself as a television product.
While his background in News Corp, part-owner in Fox Sports, may take him further in his dealings with broadcasters, he was not offering any guarantees that he would succeed where former Rugby Australia CEO Raelene Castle faced major difficulties after rejecting the initial Fox offer.
“I believe Fox have stated that they have moved on from rugby. Rob (Clarke, the interim CEO) will pick that one up. So let’s see.”
The future of professional rugby may well be hanging on the outcome of the negotiations and he did not disagree with NSW Rugby Union chairman Roger Davis’ assessment that the four Super Rugby franchises might have to close if there was no deal done.
“Yeah, I think so but we’ll see, we’ll see.”
Ever the optimist, however, he does not envisage that calamity striking and believes that with
Dave Rennie as the national coach, the Wallabies can lead from the top while, simultaneously, the game rebuilds from the grassroots up.
He contacted the Wallabies boss early on Friday morning and believes he is the right man for the job.
“Dave Rennie is rock solid, incredibly decent and I think he is a brilliant choice. I think he will be really good for our team and I am here to support him.”