All Blacks great Sir John Kirwan has sent a message to the current squad about their potential Christmas quarantine, saying they should act like the Warriors and be ready to make a sacrifice.
Sir John spoke after last week’s Rugby Championship fixtures fiasco in which New Zealand Rugby said they hadn’t signed off on the schedule which will see the All Blacks spending the festive season in quarantine due to their last Test on December 12.
It’s a tough pill to swallow for many players with families as well as those with newborns such as stars Beauden Barrett and Richie Mo’unga, but Kirwan pointed out the Warriors were away from their loved ones this year.
"The Warriors stayed away five and a half months. This is Covid people, people around the world are sacrificing,” Sir John, who played for the Warriors in the club's early days, said on The Breakdown.
"I'm sure if you said to Aaron Smith, or you said to Beauden Barrett…can you make Christmas up two days later with your family? It doesn't really matter does it?"
Fellow presenter and former All Black Justin Marshall agreed, recounting his days playing December rugby for French and British clubs.
"I'm with you …I played, trained on Christmas Day, I played on Boxing Day, and New Year’s Day which is a challenge,” Marshall said.
"You get on with it and adapt and make our way through this period and that's going to take a lot from everybody."
Sir John added he was upset with how both SANZAAR and NZR went public with their issues last week and coach Ian Foster added his two cents yesterday.
"The ABs have always lived like that - you agree to disagree and then commit," he said.
"Bringing your dirty washing out into the public …I don't know where that's coming from, I won't make a comment.
"It's not doing anyone any good.”
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