PlayRope
Playrope Aqua-Fun, are the Australian & New Zealand exclusive distributors for Vortex Aquatic Structures International, the world leader in aquatic playgrounds and urban water landscapes.…
read moreDespite having lost out to Australia in hosting the upcoming 2020 Rugby Championship, New Zealand Rugby has advised that fans will still get the chance to see the All Blacks play at home this year with the Wallabies coming to New Zealand to play two Bledisloe Cup matches in October.
Two fixtures will take place before the All Blacks head to Australia for the Rugby Championship, which will include two further Bledisloe Cup clashes.
Despite New Zealand having been the expected host of the Rugby Championship, governing body SANZAAR advised yesterday that the four-nation tournament including New Zealand, Australia, South Africa and Argentina will be played in Australia
This followed SANZAAR announcing in July that the tournament would be held in New Zealand from early November to mid-December, pending suitable facilities for teams to quarantine and train.
Commenting on SANZAAR’s change of heart, NZ Rugby Chief Executive Mark Robinson stated “we're obviously disappointed at the decision to not have New Zealand host the tournament, but we understand and accept it.
“Now that the decision has been made, we're looking forward to seeing the All Blacks again take on the best of the Southern Hemisphere.”
Explaining the decision, SANZAAR Chief Executive, Andy Marinos noted “SANZAAR ultimately determined that based on government-required quarantine protocols (for entry and training prior to the tournament) and commercial underwriting, the Rugby Australia submission was the most desirable and workable in terms of tournament logistics for the essential pre-tournament preparation period and the six-week tournament itself.”
Prior to the decision, New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said she would be very disappointed if the tournament had been given to Australia, saying a huge amount of effort had gone into the bid, with plans to quarantine teams in Queenstown.
Prime Minister Ardern commented “we put in a huge amount of effort into that bid, the tournament and even the players, even creating a regime where they could be playing within three days of arrival.
“If the results don’t go our way it would be a result of SANZAAR politics.
“The arrangements we proposed included training while in quarantine. We worked very hard with health and the tournament organisation to make sure we looked after people’s health and didn’t jeopardise the tournament. It did mean that they’d be able to train within three days.”
News that New Zealand has missed out on hosting the Rugby Championship 2020 was described by Queenstown Lakes District Mayor, Jim Boult as a “big disappointment”.
Speaking yesterday, Mayor Boult advised "I’m gutted that the tournament won’t be hosted by New Zealand and, more particularly, our district.
"A massive amount of work was applied by us, New Zealand Rugby and the Southern District Health Board to come up with a well thought-out plan that involved accommodating the teams, both in isolation and afterwards.
"We were very excited about the opportunity to host a high profile activity in town, and even more so about the possibility of hosting a game. I’m disappointed we’ve missed out."
Images: The Bledisloe Cup (top) and the Queenstown Events Centre, where teams would have spent part of their quarantine if New Zealand had hosted the Rugby Championship (below).
11th September 2020 - Australia to replace New Zealand as host of 2020 Rugby Championship tournament
31st August 2020 - Rugby Australia restructure looks to achieve $15 million in savings
20th August 2020 - New Zealand Rugby looks to stage full series of Tests in coming months
17th August 2020 - Super Rugby Aotearoa competition ends with Eden Park fixture cancellation
17th July 2020 - New Zealand looks to host entire 2020 Rugby Championship and new trans-Tasman competition in 2021
30th June 2020 - World Rugby cancels remainder of Sevens season
19th June 2020 - Crowds set to return to Stadium Waikato for third Super Rugby Aotearoa clash
16th June 2020 - Rugby Australia forms advisory board to oversee 2027 World Cup hosting bid
14th June 2020 - Fans return to Super Rugby in New Zealand
2nd June 2020 - New Zealand Rugby announces details of new domestic competition
18th May 2020 - Taranaki Rugby Union confirms financial restructuring
11th May 2020 - Coronavirus and financial losses push New Zealand Rugby to lay off half its staff
8th May 2020 - New Zealand Government announces framework for return of professional rugby and netball competitions
8th May 2020 - World Rugby releases guidelines for top level matches to be held in closed stadiums
12th March 2020 - 25 years of Chiefs Rugby to be celebrated at FMG Stadium Waikato
11th September 2020 - Councils and industry groups welcome New Zealand Government’s allocation of $50 million for events
10th September 2020 - Entertainment and events industry leaders say New Zealand Government is letting the sector ‘slowly die’
12th August 2020 - New Zealand Government reintroduces Coronavirus lockdowns
25th November 2019 - Rugby Australia takes 2020 Bledisloe Cup Test to Melbourne’s Marvel Stadium
28th August 2014 - Bledisloe Cup fireworks incident leads to NZRU investigation
1st May 2020 - Coronavirus has multi-billion dollar negative impact on global sport
6th August 2020 - World Health Organization says large crowds for sporting events are unrealistic this year
Support our industry news service
We hope that you value the news that we publish so while you're here can we ask for your support?
As an independent publisher, we need reader support for our industry news gathering so ask that - if you don't already do so - you back us by subscribing to the printed Australasian Leisure Management magazine and/or our online news.
The Complete Guide to Leisure Industry Products & Services.
Playrope Aqua-Fun, are the Australian & New Zealand exclusive distributors for Vortex Aquatic Structures International, the world leader in aquatic playgrounds and urban water landscapes.…
read moreTicketSearch is focused on providing businesses, organisations, and venues with affordable, efficient, and powerful self-managed ticketing solutions. The organisation has offices in Australia, New…
read moreINTRODUCTION Abel Sports is Australia’s leading manufacturer and suppliers of Goal Posts, sports ground safety netting systems and coaches boxes for Stadiums ,Sports Clubs, Councils and…
read moreSmart Connection Consultancy is a boutique sport and recreation consultancy who has become one of Australia’s leading advocates for the use of synthetic sports surfaces as a vehicle to grow…
read moreTrack. Engage. Retain GreeneDesk is a suite of cloud based software solutions helping health clubs, leisure centres and swim schools to effectively track progression, improve customer engagement and…
read moreClubware’s online gym software is not your run of the mill management system. It has been carefully designed to incorporate all the elements that a fitness club would need. How did we do that?…
read moreWhether your goal is increasing your centre's revenues or creating an engaging environment, why not add play to your project? If you're looking for stylish aquatic play features, kid-tested…
read moreGet your business noticed in our targeted directory. Viewed by 10,000 industry professionals per week!