North vs South
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@KiwiMurph If they want to travel this week, they'll have to apply for an exemption again. A request that is likely to be refused again IMO. Travel is possible from Monday 31st when Auckland goes to Level 2, but - at best - it will be to prepare for a game behind closed doors. As an ABs trial and for tv viewers that will still be worth it, but as a money maker for NZR it's not.
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We find out the fate of this game sometime today.
I would postpone until nearer the start of the international season, on the assumption the BC and RC takes place. I can understand that NZR wants the ABs to be involved in the M10 Cup, but they were only going to be available for the early stages of the competition so nothing really changes. The provincial coaches will know in advance which players they lose for the NI vs SI game and can plan accordingly. Having this fixture in late Sep/early Oct also provides better preparation for the ABs leading into the proposed game against Moana Pacific.
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@Bovidae Postponing this game would also allow them to consider the selection of players returning from injury (via Mitre 10) Cup for the ABs. I don't mean players who are reasonably certain of selection anyway (for example, the likes of Scott Barrett if he was close to returning); I mean players who would normally be close to ABs selection if their injury hadn't happened. For example, Luke Jacobson, David Havili and Tom Robinson, and maybe Cullen Grace.
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Foster said that they have pencilled in an AB squad already, and it was easier to select than the NI and SI squads. Therefore I don't think the NI-SI game will play a large part in AB selection, unless a player on the fringe has a blinder. It's a money-making exercise.
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@Bovidae said in North vs South:
Foster said that they have pencilled in an AB squad already, and it was easier to select than the NI and SI squads.
Yes, I heard him saying that. It's an argument for cancelling the game
It's less of a money earner if an AB squad has already being named. The interest is around the AB squad being named the day after the match. Even if that was just the appearance you've sucked half the interest out of the match
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@Bovidae said in North vs South:
We find out the fate of this game sometime today.
I would postpone until nearer the start of the international season, on the assumption the BC and RC takes place. I can understand that NZR wants the ABs to be involved in the M10 Cup, but they were only going to be available for the early stages of the competition so nothing really changes. The provincial coaches will know in advance which players they lose for the NI vs SI game and can plan accordingly. Having this fixture in late Sep/early Oct also provides better preparation for the ABs leading into the proposed game against Moana Pacific.
I understand the idea is ABs will play first 3 rounds or so of M10 Cup.
ABs are pencilled in to play a Pacific side on 3 October (which is round 4 M10 Cup).
So i'm not sure you can delay the North/South because i'm not sure where it fits.
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@KiwiMurph It all depends on when and where the BC games are going to be played. The Oct 3 game against Moana Pacific would be based on the first 2 games being in NZ (Oct 10 and 17) because otherwise the ABs will have to quarantine in Aust prior to playing the Wallabies, so that game wouldn't be possible on that date. Everything would be fluid at this point in time until the RC dates are confirmed.
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love this kind of stuff, adds...i don't know what to call it...adds something to these trophies
if they're going to use it against this year i wonder if they'll add all the other missing years too it
just reading, the last game it was used, the draw was in wellington, surprised its wasn't down there somewhere
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@sparky said in North vs South:
Why on earth aren't the NZ government doing all they can to make this game and All Blacks Tests happen? The finances of NZR won't be able to cope.
I think the professional game in NZ will struggle to survive.
Who says they aren't?
Perhaps wait for some actual announcements one way or the other.
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@KiwiMurph Professional sport is happening in some shape or form in most counties now, despite COVID. It is totally absurd that the NZ government who have many, many fewer COVID cases than most countries are struggling to make pro-sport (with the necessary crowd safety restrictions) happen.
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@sparky said in North vs South:
@KiwiMurph Professional sport is happening in some shape or form in most counties now, despite COVID. It is totally absurd that the NZ government who have many, many fewer COVID cases than most countries are struggling to make pro-sport (with the necessary crowd safety restrictions) happen.
Have you been asleep for the last couple of months? Plenty of pro sports “happened” recently. Mostly in front of large crowds while other sports around the world were played in empty stadiums with recorded crowd noise and cardboard cutout fans.
We have had one game cancelled, another not allowed crowds and one postponed. Doesn’t seem so absurd to me in the context of Earth 2020. -
@sparky said in North vs South:
@KiwiMurph Professional sport is happening in some shape or form in most counties now, despite COVID. It is totally absurd that the NZ government who have many, many fewer COVID cases than most countries are struggling to make pro-sport (with the necessary crowd safety restrictions) happen.
I present to you, ladies and gentleman, hurricanes fanship! "SRA didn't happen...."
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@sparky said in North vs South:
@pukunui Yes, to answer your question, I did notice SRA.
But what about the next few weeks/months? Surely Pro-Rugby must be allowed to function unhibited while the number of COVID-19 cases in NZ are tiny.
There is a very good chance it will be after the 6th of September.
