Adding a twist to Tri Nations travel

 

Roar Pro

By trophymaster, 19 Jul 2009 The Crowd is a Roar Pro

Tagged:

 Australia, Boks, New Zealand, Rugby Union, SANZAR, South Africa, Tri Nations

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Napoleon’s Russian campaign was in most respects well planned but it was embarked on with one fatal flaw, and like Hitler years later, he led his country to disaster. Napoleon and Hilter didn’t schedule their campaigns very well but SANZAR have benefited from these ‘trip-ups’ in terms of scheduling Tri Nations 2009.

Consider New Zealand and South Africa and then ponder the Tri Nations traveling equation.

I take my hat off to SANZAR for how they have managed to put as much traveling time on New Zealand and South Africa’s clocks as humanly imaginable while Australia breeze about.

Tri Nations 2009 doesn’t economize traveling time & direct international flight destinations aren’t where South Africa and New Zealand are heading.

Bloemfontein and Hamilton it is !

By my rough calculations, New Zealand (fresh off their Saturday game against Australia at Eden Park) will face an extra 20 hours of travel time thanks to scheduling shenanigans! Twenty hours more travel than if they were to play in Johannesburg or Cape Town.

New Zealand hit the road for two games in South Africa and Bloemfontein and Durban couldn’t be beat for hops, skips and jumps. The combination of the two is pure genius and almost on par with Hamilton and Wellington.

SARFU have been paying attention and have New Zealand jumping through hoops as they’ll jostle & spar to ensure the AB’s clock up an equal amount of extra flying miles on internal flights getting to Bloemfontein and then returning to Johannesburg for the leg to Durban. Bloemfontein and Durban being the only two destinations that require this extra inconvenience.

I know the Springboks grow travel wary on those turnaround hauls to Hamilton, Wellington or Dunedin and stadiums in Johannesburg, Sydney and Auckland are relative comforts and of coarse not on offer to aid most jet lagged teams.

Australia give the Boks – Perth and Brisbane (East & West, nice one!).

The NZRU give the Boks – Hamilton & Wellington (A little bus time!).

SARFU gives New Zealand – Bloemfontein and Durban.

Australia have the easiest schedule with one flight straight into Cape Town (after the relative comfort of Auckland and Eden Park) while the Boks again take the Roadtrip Trophy for Perth, Bribane, Hamilton and Wellington.

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