All Blacks Test match venues (upcoming fixtures)
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@stargazer said in All Blacks Test match venues (upcoming fixtures):
@bovidae Our last one was in 2014.
Went for a boys weekend for my bday, bloody rocked!
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Test Vs Tonga, then two tests Vs Fiji. Confirmed.
Blockbuster matches unveiled with festival of All Blacks, MÄori and Pasifika rugby in July
An epic festival of All Blacks, MÄori and Pasifika rugby matches has been confirmed for Aotearoa / New Zealand this July with the All Blacks, MÄori All Blacks, Fiji, Tonga and Samoa all in action, and two blockbuster double-header match days unveiled.
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All Blacks vs Tonga, Saturday 3 July, 7.05PM, plus MÄori All Blacks vs Manu Samoa (kick-off TBC), Mt Smart Stadium, AUCKLAND
All Blacks vs Fiji, Saturday 10 July, 7.05PM, Forsyth Barr Stadium, DUNEDIN
All Blacks vs Fiji, Saturday 17 July, 7.05PM, plus Tonga vs Samoa (kick-off TBC), FMG Stadium Waikato, HAMILTON
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2021 Steinlager Series
Saturday, 3 July (Mt Smart Stadium, Auckland):
- MÄori All Blacks vs Manu Samoa - kick-off TBC
- All Blacks vs Tonga - kick-of 7.05pm
Saturday 10 July (Forsyth Barr Stadium, Dunedin)- All Blacks vs Fiji - kick-of 7.05pm
Saturday 17 July (FMG Stadium Waikato, Hamilton)- Tonga vs Samoa (kick-off TBC)
- All Blacks vs Fiji - kick-off 7.05pm
Tickets go on pre-sale on 1 June and Public sale on 4 June.
Meanwhile, Manu Samoa will also play a second RWC 2023 Qualifying match against Tonga, with further details on that match to be confirmed at a later date.
The All Blacks schedule for The Rugby Championship, as well as an additional Bledisloe Cup Test, will be announced in due course, with Eden Park and Wellingtonās SKY Stadium expected to host a number of games. -
So we won't see any Fijians or Samoans from anywhere but NZ or Oz - maybe they'll get some non pros in from the islands who could quarantine before the test window. Maybe some Fijians will make it over for the last test, as they don't have to quarantine on the way back (for the UK at least, not sure about the rest of Europe)
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@machpants So a precursor to Moana Pasifika and the Fijian Drua.
It will be interesting to see the strength of their teams. I am sure the European-based players would be keen to play the ABs but, as usual, their clubs will ultimately decide.
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@stargazer said in All Blacks Test match venues (upcoming fixtures):
@dan54 Yes, but if they have to go into quarantine upon return, that will reduce their availability for the test squad, because clubs won't allow them to arrive late for preseason.
They have to quarantine in NZ, so the first 2 weeks are out, so only the 3rd test vs Fiji could have some. They may (UK doesn't from NZ) have to then quarantine on return, and thus they won't be able to come as they can't make it back inside the window. They are only released for those 3 weekends.
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We can't throw stone anymore re: PI availability.
There are no Fa'atau's, Lam's, So'oalos, Vunibaka's, Bari's, Fenukitau, Caucau's, Lima's left in our league like there was 20 years ago.
Now they are all Reece's, Fakatava's, Sowakula's, Korobiete's, Vunivalu's, Naisarani's, Frizzell's. On central contracts already captured, waiting to be nation-captured, or not prepared to shoe-horn themsleves into the 3 risky overseas player spots (so, pretending they are waiting to be captured until they are ready for move to Japan or Europe).
These 3 tests are just content for contents sake, sadly. Like the quarter-filled Eden Park double header before the Lions test. (NZ v Samoa, Wales v Tonga) - I'm not sure there is much appetite from PI supporters in NZ for matches where they are left with the dregs to play against cream (So, a good barometer on Moana Pasifika).
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@rapido said in All Blacks Test match venues (upcoming fixtures):
We can't throw stone anymore re: PI availability.
There are no Fa'atau's, Lam's, So'oalos, Vunibaka's, Bari's, Fenukitau, Caucau's, Lima's left in our league like there was 20 years ago.
Now they are all Reece's, Fakatava's, Sowakula's, Korobiete's, Vunivalu's, Naisarani's, Frizzell's. On central contracts already captured, waiting to be nation-captured, or not prepared to shoe-horn themsleves into the 3 risky overseas player spots (so, pretending they are waiting to be captured until they are ready for move to Japan or Europe).
That's more about eligibility than availability IMO. The players who play in the NH are eligible, but their clubs make it almost impossible for them to play for the country they're eligible to play for, because they don't want to release them (as required by WR Regulations).
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@tim said in All Blacks Test match venues (upcoming fixtures):
So Australia has a series against France, and we play Fiji and Tonga's B-teams (at best). We would be better off playing the Moana Pasifika team from last year's match against the Maori team.
Yup whomever gets France in a Lions year is the lucky one! Still they'll have to quarantine in Oz, gawd knows who is actually going to turn up to play?
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@machpants said in All Blacks Test match venues (upcoming fixtures):
Yup whomever gets France in a Lions year is the lucky one! Still they'll have to quarantine in Oz, gawd knows who is actually going to turn up to play?
Players involved in the Top 14 final won't be available for the 1st test at least.
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@machpants especially as French players, often involved in thier finals miss the 1st game anyway, so 2 more weeks...
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@stargazer said in All Blacks Test match venues (upcoming fixtures):
@rapido said in All Blacks Test match venues (upcoming fixtures):
We can't throw stone anymore re: PI availability.
There are no Fa'atau's, Lam's, So'oalos, Vunibaka's, Bari's, Fenukitau, Caucau's, Lima's left in our league like there was 20 years ago.
Now they are all Reece's, Fakatava's, Sowakula's, Korobiete's, Vunivalu's, Naisarani's, Frizzell's. On central contracts already captured, waiting to be nation-captured, or not prepared to shoe-horn themsleves into the 3 risky overseas player spots (so, pretending they are waiting to be captured until they are ready for move to Japan or Europe).
That's more about eligibility than availability IMO. The players who play in the NH are eligible, but their clubs make it almost impossible for them to play for the country they're eligible to play for, because they don't want to release them (as required by WR Regulations).
I know which of those I think is worse. You'll never be available ever again once you're ineligible.
Accross the 10 TT SR teams. There are 20 PI born and raised players (10 each for NZ and Aus) who will not be playing for any of the PI teams this July. 9 of those 20 are still uncapped.
To argue your point about elegibilty v availability. 9 are still eligible, but I'd bet my left testicle they won't be available.
There are 3 PI born and raised players in the 10 teams who are tied to the PI nations.
To soothe our guilt, we have offset by providing 8 PI players who were NZ or Aus born or mostly raised.
A 20 to 3 ratio is way worse than any hinderance applied by NH clubs in non-covid times.
We are now a big part of the problem.
Taken 20, employing 3, developed and gifted 8.
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@bovidae said in All Blacks Test match venues (upcoming fixtures):
@machpants said in All Blacks Test match venues (upcoming fixtures):
Yup whomever gets France in a Lions year is the lucky one! Still they'll have to quarantine in Oz, gawd knows who is actually going to turn up to play?
Players involved in the Top 14 final won't be available for the 1st test at least.
Players in the final won;t be available full stop, they still have to quarantine for 2 weeks in Oz. No way they'll make the series. I'm really stumped as to how they think they are going to get a team there at all, for 3 weekends, 2 week quarantine is a biggy! It is not like with Argentina that the team can turn up 2 weeks early and do a training quarantine like Argentina did, they'll all still be playing club rugby.
