The Rugby Championship remains in a state of disarray, leading Rugby Australia to request assurances that New Zealand will travel to play a rearranged third Bledisloe Cup Test in Perth.
The future of the tournament was thrown into doubt after New Zealand Rugby (NZR) announced last week that the All Blacks would not be travelling to Perth as planned on Sunday.
But Australian organisers are working to postpone the August 28 fixture in Perth by just one week, with New Zealand risking a A$5million (£2.6m) bill if they fail to show up again.
That’s the fee West Australia’s government would reportedly want to recoup after paying Rugby Australia the same sum for the rights to host the fixture.
And Rugby Australia chief executive Andy Marinos told the Sydney Morning Herald he’s eager to have some assurance the new September 4 date will go ahead: “I want it in writing.
“We have an email, but we need a letter for both the government and the stadium as well. That should be forthcoming pretty soon.”
NZR announced the All Blacks would not be travelling to Perth for the Australian leg of their Rugby Championship just days before they were due to fly out.
It was also confirmed that New Zealand would not be hosting South Africa for two fixtures scheduled later in the tournament.
The decision came after New Zealand’s government restricted travel into and out of the country following several coronavirus outbreaks, while New South Wales has also experienced a spike in cases.
It was in doubt as to whether Australia could welcome South Africa and Argentina at present, but proposals for both teams to be fast-tracked into ‘managed isolation’ have been hastily brought forward.
“Queensland is absolutely a priority for us. Until such time that we cannot make it work, that’s the priority,” Marinos continued.
“We are working very hard to get all the approval and assurances done. The Queensland government have been fantastic in working alongside us.
“There was never any doubt about whether we could play there. It was just doubt that we could get South Africa and Argentina through managed isolation.”
While NZR isn’t directly named in the contract regarding hosting rights, Marinos suggested Rugby Australia will seek renumeration if they have to return money to Queensland: “I’ve made New Zealand very aware that we have a contract and they’ve made a commitment.”
New Zealand’s union was hesitant for its squad to travel amid the recent spikes in cases, with a potential three-month wait before they return home given the upcoming northern hemisphere tour.
Europe has been touted as a potential destination to complete the remainder of the Rugby Championship, with games possibly being exported to London, Cardiff, Dublin and Paris.
South Africa has also been eager to offer its services as a potential host, with the Springboks and Argentina already in the country.
However, the current ban on stadia attendances is thought to be a substantial obstacle in the country hosting fixtures.
The Optus Stadium in Perth holds a capacity crowd of a little more than 60,000, all of which was sold out for the third and final Bledisloe Test on August 28, which will now not go ahead.
But organisers will hope fans are able to return for the proposed fixture one week later, with a decision expected imminently as to whether that game has the green light.
The fate of that fixture will give the four teams concerned a greater idea of what to expect for the rest of the Rugby Championship, which may now resume with minimal disruption.
New Zealand recently beat the Wallabies in back-to-back games to lift the Bledisloe Cup for the 19th year running, while South Africa lead the Rugby Championship standings.
