Southern hemisphere rugby bosses pledged on Friday never again to field weakened teams in the Tri-Nations and Super 14.
”It’s fair to say that it will never happen again,” John O’Neill, chief executive of South Africa New Zealand and Australia Rugby (Sanzar) told a media briefing in Christchurch.
South Africa’s decision to rest 20 leading Springboks from the second half of the Tri-Nations competition and New Zealand’s exclusion of 22 All Blacks during the first half of the Super 14, angered their partners, sponsors and rugby supporters.
Preparation for September’s Rugby World Cup was cited as one of the main reasons behind both decisions.
”We discussed the issue robustly and directly and openly in the spirit of the joint venture,” said O’Neill.
”There was a very distinct recognition that World Cup year was a problem. We have agreed that we need to give an assurance that for the next World Cup the scheduling issue will be resolved and that the requirement that we field the best available teams will be addressed.”
Joint approach
O’Neill said the Sanzar unions would be working together between now and November to formulate a joint approach to the International Rugby Board’s (IRB) plans to establish an integrated international season.
The Sanzar nations also want an end to northern hemisphere national unions sending weakened teams to the south in the June Test window.
Club commitments and World Cup preparations meant that significantly weakened French, English and Welsh teams visited the Sanzar nations last month.
”It’s not acceptable for the northern hemisphere to send second string teams down here and just expect us to cop it,” said O’Neill. ”We work very hard to ensure that our best teams go north in their autumn window.”
O’Neill acknowledged Sanzar did not have the institutional structures to enforce their pledge on the three member unions. ”We can’t be precise about the methodology,” he said, but that the solution lay in a combination of directions.
”It’s around scheduling; it’s working with the IRB and the potential for an integrated global season, and to work with our own individual unions and coaches to ensure we honour our obligations to each other, to the broadcasters, to the sponsors and fans,” he said.
New Zealand host a weakened South Africa in Christchurch on Saturday before the Tri-Nations concludes when Australia play the All Blacks in Auckland on July 21. – Reuters