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SANZAAR relationships put under more strain following Rugby Championship draw

September 24, 2020

The turbulent SANZAAR partnership has become even more unsteady today with the federation and New Zealand Rugby effectively in a standoff over the Rugby Championship.

It comes after the schedule was released without New Zealand's sign off which currently would mean the All Blacks are in quarantine over Christmas – something they've described previously as not being an option.

NZR chief executive Mark Robinson followed up a statement from the "disappointed" union with media interviews and said the issue is far from over.

“What we're looking for in all this is some fairness,” Robinson said.

But SANZAAR boss Andy Marinos argued to 1 NEWS that NZR can’t have it both ways, claiming the New Zealand union didn’t share the same concerns when the competition was originally being proposed here.

“We need to put facts on the table,” Marinos said.

“It wasn’t so long ago that a similar request like this was put forward to SANZAAR by Australia when there was contemplation of the event taking place in New Zealand, and it was flatly denied and told tough luck.”

Robinson disputes the stance though.

“We were committed to the Australians being back home with their families before Christmas if they’d been playing here,” Robinson said.

NZR has been arguing for a condensed five-week tournament that would have the All Blacks home for Christmas day as they’d be able to fly out a week earlier.

1 NEWS asked Robinson whether boycotting the December 12 Bledisloe Test in Australia was an option and the NZR boss didn’t rule it out.

“We're looking at a whole lot of different options at the moment,” he said.

Despite the clash, both parties still won’t talk bad of the relationship status of the SANZAAR unions.

“I don’t think [today] represents a breakdown,” Marinos said.

“It’s fair to say previous announcements and positions have obviously put a strain on the relationship.”

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