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'I'm really disappointed': Former All Blacks disagree with Anzac Test outcome
By Henry Lee
Anzac Day, Wallabies against the All Blacks: not many rugby fans from this side of the world would argue against a matchup between two rivals, celebrating an important day for both countries.
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Last year, Rugby Australia boldly proposed a Test match between the two teams on Anzac Day as the third Bledisloe match, moving the current two-game series back to the old format of three games.
Former All Blacks Jeff Wilson, Stephen Donald and Justin Marshall have all backed the proposal, saying on The Breakdown that the Anzac Day fixture is everything NZR should be pushing for.
“They spoke with various groups, Super Rugby, the Players Association partners, which I assume are sponsors, and they don’t see it as viable at this stage,” Wilson said on The Breakdown.
“There’s a lot of this commercial discussion here. I think about it and I go, why isn’t the rugby the most important part of this, and what an opportunity this might be and them saying it doesn’t really stack up, hopefully, it’s not the end of the conversation, because I look at this as a huge opportunity.”
Marshall, an 81-Test former All Black, said NZR are beholden to revenue, and an Anzac Day match would, in theory, offer plenty of upside in that respect.
“It’s a 50/50 split for revenue, it’s a no-brainer, it will be in big stadiums in Australia, that’s massive revenue for New Zealand.
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“They’re (NZR) always crying out to get to get more revenue.”
Wilson also says that the new stadium being built in Christchurch would be a perfect place to hold the second or third instalment of the Test series.
“We’ve got a flash new stadium being built in Christchurch, I’m pretty sure they’d love to have a game down there hosting the Test match on Anzac Day.
“As a player, if you got asked to play an Anzac Day Test against the Aussies on that day, you’d jump at it.”
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Donald believes strongly that it is a commercially strong option, as the Test match calendar is where the most money is made.
“How can it commercially not be a good option? Like, it’s a Test match, isn’t that where we make our big money from?” Donald told The Breakdown.
“As you said, you get 80,000 in Sydney or over in Western Australia. You have like a week to prepare for a Test match.
“I mean, just get the best 23 from the end-of-year tour, and go right, you’ve got a Test match in April against the Wallabies. It’s not the one where you’re looking to pick 40 players.”
Former Wallaby Tim Horan hit back at NZR CEO Mark Robinson, who said the proposal was not ‘viable’ at this stage.
“I think it’s actually really poor form, and it’s a real shame from New Zealand Rugby that they don’t accommodate because they’re supposed to be good, strong partners with us and to have an opportunity for a marquee event on ANZAC Day,” Horan said on the Inside Line podcast on Stan Sport.
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Well obviously NZR is not beholden to revenue then Marshall.
And it simply never was a revenue issue. The AFL and NRL milk the ANZACs deaths and sacrifice for their own personal gain, they did not make their decisions based on “the rugby”, it’s all about taking over the day for the financial benefit. Why would NZR want to be a apart of that? We know RA would, but more than ever they are driven by the bottom line, and not the values that will be the factor in NZRs decision.
So you need to get outside you bubble Tim Horan and think about reality. First, did Australians need something to do on ANZAC day (assuming it was for the weekend celebration day proposal) or have they been brainwashed into disconnecting with their mates and connecting with the TV. What purpose does it provide other than financially essentially? Then ask yourself that same question for the communities out side of that, through Aus and then into NZ and around the pacific, world even.
We don’t need your shortshighted aussie brain calling out NZR thanks.
NZR also doesn’t want to destroy a good thing that is SRs revival amongst wider entertainment enjoyer base, and having a SR break/interruption was a big driver towards fans turning off previously. You’d have to wait at least a few years before they feel comfortable in disrupting that again. Actually having it at the beggining of 2027, World Cup year in Australia, might actually be the most sensible thing (though I actually really like Utiku’s idea). It would both drum up support and get the spotlight on rugby early in the season, helping anticipation/buildup for the big event, and more importantly, give the sides an extra game that year to get things right for a tilt at thge trophy.
They should consider an ANZAC test between a New Zealand 15 and an Australian 15 selected on Super Rugby form and as an opportunity for up-and-comers to experience the cauldron of a high profile meaningful clash. Keep “All Blacks” and “Wallabies” out of the clash (maybe even exclude current internationals?) and just make it between the best form “selections” for that year. Clubs might squeal but they also would benefit from their guys getting the exposure and the recognition. Plus, the current model means they need the national unions to do well financially. The rivalry is there but more ABs vs Wallabies contests may not be the only way to make the occasion.
Yeah good idea, I like that, kinda like with an NBA All Star game, the players are (partly) chosen by votes or charity work or something.
Typical NZR, zero imagination, total fun sponges.
Typical RA. Want all the revenue and always played in Perth every year. Absolutely nothing in this proposal for NZR sorry. Maybe if RA came back with a fair and decent offer it could be a goer.
So the aussies have come up with a cunning plan to retrieve the Bled, based on a test match weeks ahead of the test season, so they have the chance to ambush a flung-together AB side, given that their Super Rugby teams have zero profile over there anyway, so any disruption there is inconsequential??
How would aussie be able to prepare themselves better than the All Blacks? All the players play super rugby.
Whether there is 2 matches or 3 the challenger has to win two games to get the Bledisloe.
The answer to that is that a match played outside of the normal test window should be treated as a one off match and not counted as a Bledisloe cup match. Aussie are still short of the quality required to lift that trophy in the foreseeable future anyway. Been a long time since they were !!!!