The Rugby Championship fixture has been thrown into chaos after New Zealand Rugby (NZR) decided against sending the All Blacks to Perth for the August 28 clash with the Wallabies.
The All Blacks were initially scheduled to fly to Perth on Sunday in preparation for the third Bledisloe Cup clash at Optus Stadium, which also doubled as a Rugby Championship fixture.
But with NZ in lockdown and the complexities of getting a team to Perth with enough time to quarantine before the match, NZR announced the All Blacks won’t be sent to Perth.
NZR also announced that the All Blacks’ two home Tests against South Africa won’t be played in NZ.
“Without complete certainty on the team’s next movements around the Rugby Championship we felt it was prudent for the team to stay put in New Zealand until SANZAAR have announced the full tournament schedule,” NZR chief executive Mark Robinson said.
“Once the team leaves our shores, they currently can’t return until November 23 post their Northern Tour, so given the uncertainty, it makes sense to pause and get more clarity on these fixtures.
“We remain 100 per cent committed to playing in the entire Rugby Championship in 2021 and are working closely with SANZAAR to look at a range of options to reschedule these important matches.”
AAP
