WEDNESDAY, 11.00AM:
NEW Zealand rugby coach John Hart on Monday attacked the South African Rugby Football Union (Sarfu) for changing the venue for Saturday’s Tri-nations match between the Springboks and All Blacks. The match was initially scheduled for Loftus Versfeld stadium, but was changed to Ellis Park in January because the then Springbok coach, Andre Markgraaff, said it would help the Springboks if they played both the British Lions and the All Blacks in Johannesburg.
“I did not dispute that the home union should determine the venue, but once this was done then the board should have been the only one allowed to change it,” said Hart. Sarfu’s media spokesman Alex Broun said the organisers of the Tri-nations, Sanzar, did not object.
Hart also lashed out at the Gauteng and Northern Transvaal unions for not allowing the All Blacks to train at Loftus Versfeld and Ellis Park. “I am disappointed, it shows lack of goodwill and is foreign to me and New Zealand rugby. We wanted to train but we were told not to train in boots. But we cannot train in bare feet or in running shoes,” he said.
The matter has since been resolved and permission has been granted for the All Blacks to train at Ellis Park.