Australia beats New Zealand to host Rugby Championship
VIDEO SHOWS: SOUNDBITES FROM RUGBY AUSTRALIA INTERIM CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER, SOUNDBITE FROM NEW ZEALAND LABOUR PARTY LEADER JACINDA ARDERN, AUSTRALIAN WALLABIES TRAINING, WALLABIES PASSING RUGBY BALL, WALLABIES POSING FOR PHOTOS, NEW ZEALAND ALL BLACKS TRAINING
RESENDING WITH FULL SCRIPT
SHOWS:
YOKOHAMA, JAPAN (FILE - OCTOBER 26, 2018) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL)
1. VARIOUS OF AUSTRALIAN WALLABIES TRAINING ON PITCH
SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA (SEPTEMBER 11, 2020) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL)
2. (SOUNDBITE) (English) RUGBY AUSTRALIA INTERIM CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER, ROB CLARKE, SAYING:
"I think it's a fantastic opportunity. It's fantastic for our game. I think it's wonderful for fans. You're going to potentially be able to go to one ground and experience two test matches. As I said, out of four of the best nations in the world."
SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA (FILE - AUGUST 17, 2018) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL)
3. WALLABIES POSING FOR TEAM PHOTO
SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA (SEPTEMBER 11, 2020) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL)
4. (SOUNDBITE) (English) RUGBY AUSTRALIA INTERIM CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER, ROB CLARKE, SAYING:
"We're hopeful that there might be improvement on those crowd numbers as we move forward over the next couple of months and if that is indeed the case, then that will be a great win both for the fans, who can get to come and watch some of this wonderful rugby but also for the game."
YOKOHAMA, JAPAN (FILE - OCTOBER 26, 2018) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL)
5. WALLABIES TRAINING ON PITCH
SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA (SEPTEMBER 11, 2020) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL)
6. (SOUNDBITE) (English) RUGBY AUSTRALIA INTERIM CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER, ROB CLARKE, SAYING:
"It's going to be consistent with how the New South Wales government have treated other visiting teams like the New Zealand Warriors mens and womens teams. So will be a bubble concept and testing will take place over a 14 day quarantine period within that bubble, where full training can take place and that has been the government's position to date and they reassured us that that will remain their position and that will be consistent for every team in the TRC."
WELLINGTON, NEW ZEALAND (FILE - JULY 26, 2019) (TVNZ - Broadcasters: NO USE NEW ZEALAND Digital: NO USE NEW ZEALAND INTERNET SITES / ANY INTERNET SITE OF ANY NEW ZEALAND OR AUSTRALIA BASED MEDIA ORGANISATIONS OR MOBILE PLATFORMS)
7. VARIOUS OF NEW ZEALAND ALL BLACKS RUGBY UNION TEAM TRAINING ON PITCH
AUCKLAND, NEW ZEALAND (SEPTEMBER 11, 2020) (TVNZ - Broadcasters: NO USE NEW ZEALAND Digital: NO USE NEW ZEALAND INTERNET SITES / ANY INTERNET SITE OF ANY NEW ZEALAND OR AUSTRALIA BASED MEDIA ORGANISATIONS OR MOBILE PLATFORMS)
8. (SOUNDBITE) (English) NEW ZEALAND LABOUR PARTY LEADER, JACINDA ARDERN, SAYING:
"If that is the outcome, then I would be deeply disappointed. We put in a huge amount of effort into that bid, worked really hard to accommodate the needs of the tournament and the players, even creating a regime where they could be training within three days of arrival in New Zealand. If we are not successful, I'd say it would be a result of being caught up in SANZAAR politics."
WELLINGTON, NEW ZEALAND (FILE - JULY 26, 2019) (TVNZ - Broadcasters: NO USE NEW ZEALAND Digital: NO ACCESS NEW ZEALAND INTERNET SITES / ANY INTERNET SITE OF ANY NEW ZEALAND OR AUSTRALIA BASED MEDIA ORGANISATIONS OR MOBILE PLATFORMS)
9. ALL BLACKS IN HUDDLE ON PITCH
STORY: Australia will host the southern hemisphere's four-nation Rugby Championship (TRC) from November 7 - December 12 in a coup for the country's battered domestic game as it struggles to recover from the impact of COVID-19.
New Zealand, nominated in July as preferred host, lost out to Australia's bid for the postponed tournament after a recent outbreak of COVID-19 in Auckland which triggered a fresh social distancing clampdown. Organisers SANZAAR, comprised of the partner unions of Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and Argentina, said on Friday the four nations would play each other twice in a full format to be held mainly in New South Wales (NSW) state. Australia will host the southern hemisphere's four-nation Rugby Championship (TRC), governing body SANZAAR said in a statement on Friday (September 11).
Rugby Australia (RA) welcomed the decision, which gives the domestic game a vital boost as the federation seeks a broadcasting deal for 2021 and beyond.
New Zealand Labour Party Leader Jacinda Ardern said she was disappointed in the decision, blaming the choice of Australia as host on SANZAAR politics. New Zealand was given the consolation of two non-TRC matches against the Wallabies in October, part of the annual Bledisloe Cup series contested against the All Blacks. Each nation will be permitted bumper squads of 46 players and 12 staff, with the visiting teams allowed to train at biosecure facilities while passing Australia's mandatory 14-day quarantine upon arrival.
(Production: James Redmayne)
