Ardern plays down Bledisloe Cup biosecurity concerns

14 Sep 2020, 04:09 by Greg Stutchbury

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has downplayed concerns that the country's strict biosecurity regulations could lead to next month's Bledisloe Cup matches being moved to Australia or cancelled altogether.

New Zealand Rugby (NZR) and Rugby Australia (RA) are yet to finalise details for the games, but October 17 and 24 have been pencilled in as potential dates.

https://static.ffx.io/images/$zoom_0.259%2C$multiply_1.5109%2C$ratio_1.776846%2C$width_1059%2C$x_0%2C$y_0/t_crop_custom/q_62%2Cf_auto/e0ef50f6ca52bf80cedb84bf2ea4ad85a8b7f4a3 — Stand-off: New Zealand's strict COVID-19 measures have cast a cloud over the Bledisloe Cup.Getty

Wallabies coach Dave Rennie suggested on Sunday that NZR were pushing for a match on October 10 and said there was no way his team would be ready to play on that date, given the biosecurity protocols in New Zealand.

Australian media jumped on Rennie's comments and said there was a chance RA would refuse to play, but Ardern told a media conference on Monday she did not think that was likely.

"I don't anticipate that being an issue," she said. "I believe we will be able to find a workable solution to make the Bledisloe Cup happen."

New Zealand's strict protocols, which mean teams would only be able to train in larger groups gradually as they go through the 14-day quarantine, was seen as one of the reasons it lost out to Australia for the Rugby Championship hosting rights.

Ardern said hosting the Wallabies for the Bledisloe Cup was a different proposition to the Rugby Championship, which also involves South Africa and Argentina, in terms of risk.

"I believe we will be able to find a workable solution to make the Bledisloe Cup happen."Jacinda Ardern

More than a dozen Pumas players and coaches have tested positive for COVID-19 infections in the last two weeks.

"We are still working through logistics," she said.

"Keeping in mind ... it is a different risk profile for teams from Australia than the likes of South Africa or Argentina."

Ardern added that the government would work with the dates that NZR and RA agreed upon.

A NZR spokesman said no dates had been finalised yet.

New Zealand's general election is scheduled for October 17, and Ardern said she felt confident the country could vote and also watch a rugby game on the same day.

"I will be trying to do the same," she said.

"I think the most important thing is that New Zealanders get the chance to see that match."

Reuters