O’Neill floats idea of ANZAC rugby team
By Adrian Warren, 21 Jun 2012
- Tagged:
- ANZAC rugby, Australian Rugby Union, John ONeill, Rugby Union, wallabies
108 Have your say
Australian Rugby Union boss John O’Neill is floating the idea of either an ANZAC or SANZAR composite side playing the British and Irish Lions in 2015.
An ANZAC team played once before, losing to the Lions on their 1989 tour of Australia, though there were very few New Zealanders in that side.
The Lions, who visit Australia next year, are traditionally a touring side that don’t play at home.
O’Neill is looking at ways to commemorate the centenary of the Gallipoli conflict in 2015.
With no Tests planned after the 2015 World Cup in England winds up at the end of October, O’Neill suggested that either an ANZAC or SANZAR team could face a Lions combination in London in November.
O’Neill stressed it was speculation on his part rather than a firm proposal, with no formal talks conducted yet with New Zealand on the subject.
“With the Gallipoli centenary coming up, an ANZAC team – a combined All Black-Wallaby team – playing the British Lions (is an option). Not necessarily in Turkey, maybe Twickenham, that would be a nice contest.”
“Australia and New Zealand on the field of battle were a pretty potent force and a combined All Black-Wallaby team would be a pretty potent force as well.
“We’ve often speculated whether we should try and emulate what the Lions do and maybe have a combined SANZAR team and bring South Africa into it.
“The concept of a combined SANZAR team or a combined ANZAC team is something that gets bounced around every now and then.
“It often ends up in the too hard basket, but it’s conceptually got some appeal.
Meanwhile, O’Neill estimated the 2013 Lions tour could be worth somewhere between $A300-400 million to the Australian economy.
O’Neill didn’t expect the difficult economic conditions in Europe would have a negative impact on the number of Lions supporters travelling to Australia.
“A waiting list of 26,000 people have registered interest in buying travel packages is a pretty good indication that they are fairly impervious,” O’Neill said.
The Lions schedule includes three Tests, matches against all five Australian Super teams and one against a combined NSW-Queensland country side.
He said the availability of Wallabies players for their Super teams matches against the Lions was a delicate subject with a policy still to be determined.
“I think for the earlier games you would like the Super Rugby teams to be at full strength,” O’Neill said.
“The closer you get to the Test matches you may have to look at standing down some Wallabies.”
© AAP 2013- Explore:
- ANZAC rugby, Australian Rugby Union, John ONeill, Rugby Union, wallabies
June 21st 2012 @ 1:42am
kingplaymaker said | June 21st 2012 @ 1:42am | Report comment
The most significant thing about this is that if JON is talking about 2015 it shows he clearly has no intention of leaving in 2015
June 21st 2012 @ 9:14am
peterlala said | June 21st 2012 @ 9:14am | Report comment
KPM, that’s what I thought. Why comment if you are not going to be there?
June 21st 2012 @ 1:47am
The Werewolf said | June 21st 2012 @ 1:47am | Report comment
If they do an ANZAC team and a test match that would be cool but it needs to be around the april 25th mark for it to be relevant, which will never happen.
Otherwise it will just be one of those NH v SH games they have at twickers which are soul-less affairs.
June 21st 2012 @ 2:17am
matthew said | June 21st 2012 @ 2:17am | Report comment
Would rather see a World club championship, the best Heineken sides against the best Super 15.
June 21st 2012 @ 4:09am
The Werewolf said | June 21st 2012 @ 4:09am | Report comment
Does that work though. Heinenken cup sides are just rugby clubs where as super xv are provincial franchises. It would be like randwick playing the Crusaders. It ain’t gonna happen i’m afraid.
June 21st 2012 @ 6:29am
Pot Hale said | June 21st 2012 @ 6:29am | Report comment
You may not have watched the Heineken Cup in the last few years……
June 22nd 2012 @ 8:44am
RugbyTragic said | June 22nd 2012 @ 8:44am | Report comment
Agree with you totally Pot Hole, Heineken cup rugby is top quality, I think a Super Rugby / Heineken Cup challenge match would be brilliant to watch!
June 21st 2012 @ 4:39am
Killerwhale said | June 21st 2012 @ 4:39am | Report comment
By ANZAC team do you mean the current Australian set up?
June 21st 2012 @ 5:32am
mania said | June 21st 2012 @ 5:32am | Report comment
this is dumb. what does NZ get out of this? basically it would be a AB’s side watered down with aus players.
looking at it on paper can only think of 2 wallaby’s that might dethrone an AB. digby would make it but not sure he would start or see the entire game out. no one in the aus forwards would make it, genia might but he’d have to share game time with aSmith.
dumb idea clasping at straws trying to squeeze more money out of the public at expense of the players.
June 21st 2012 @ 6:54am
The Bush said | June 21st 2012 @ 6:54am | Report comment
I’m sure Sir Richie would move to No8 to accommodate Mr Pocock…
Besides, relax, it would be like a Baa Baa’s game – more about the spirit and the event than the result.
June 21st 2012 @ 6:59am
p.Tah said | June 21st 2012 @ 6:59am | Report comment
I don’t think it would be a Baa Baa game,I think they’d take it very seriously. I’d love to see a SANZAR version.
June 21st 2012 @ 8:55am
The Bush said | June 21st 2012 @ 8:55am | Report comment
I’d love to see a SANZAR team too, though perhaps in celebrating 100 years since Gallipoli a SANZAR team isn’t the way to go as I wasn’t aware that too many South African’s fought at Gallipoli (happy to be wrong).
I didn’t interpret this game as a “must win or the honour of our nations is ruined” sort of game. I saw it more as a celebration of the ANZAC spirit and about our two (2) nations getting together and playing those dastardly colonial overlords who landed us on the wrong beach (I’m aware that this is a myth)…
June 21st 2012 @ 10:18am
mania said | June 21st 2012 @ 10:18am | Report comment
i’d love to see a boks and AB’s combined team
June 22nd 2012 @ 4:11pm
Nathan of Perth said | June 22nd 2012 @ 4:11pm | Report comment
But what would be the cause?
June 21st 2012 @ 1:14pm
Winston said | June 21st 2012 @ 1:14pm | Report comment
This would be awesome. Similar to a lions tour.
June 21st 2012 @ 5:52am
Skills & Techniques said | June 21st 2012 @ 5:52am | Report comment
The logistics seem impossible for an ANZAC team. Pocock or McCaw? What a massive honour for an Australian to get picked in this team. The squabbling over selection would be intense and setting a quota from each country would demean the whole project. Nice idea though. I guess it depends on how good Australia are in 2015. That Super game played at Twickenham a few years back was fantastic and was a massive wake up call for the blinkered press over there about how good rugby can be.
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June 21st 2012 @ 6:59am
The Bush said | June 21st 2012 @ 6:59am | Report comment
Why would the setting of a quota demean the whole project? I’m almost certain the result wouldn’t be the poin of the match… Ever watched a Barbarians match?
June 21st 2012 @ 7:49am
Jarmen said | June 21st 2012 @ 7:49am | Report comment
If the result is not important then do not sully the ANZAC name with a quota based feel good politically correct team.
If there was going to be an ANZAC team only the best should be selected and if this means only one or two from said country get in then so be it!
June 21st 2012 @ 8:52am
The Bush said | June 21st 2012 @ 8:52am | Report comment
Yes I’m sure that was the sort of spirit the ANZAC’s left our shores with… None of this sign up and see the world spirit and joining in ’cause your mates were signing up…
(No need to take something that would be a celebration and tribute so seriously)
June 21st 2012 @ 10:36am
Jarmen said | June 21st 2012 @ 10:36am | Report comment
No need for you to turn their heroic deeds into a carnival either.
What the ANZACs went and did was deadly serious do not sully their name by putting on some cheap ar se specatalce simply to make money.
If this is going to be done it should be done with the utmost respect and played in all seriousness with the best that is available not some politically selected feel good journeymen side.
June 21st 2012 @ 12:18pm
atlas said | June 21st 2012 @ 12:18pm | Report comment
I find the concept tacky, tasteless.
What next – ANZAC v USA, party like it’s 1945 in Japan?
Or to commemorate Vietnam, with French officials to commemorate their, er, contribution, to that conflict?
‘Call me old-fashioned’, but count me out.
Like to hear what the RSL etc think of this.
Anyone asked the Turkish government?
June 21st 2012 @ 1:30pm
The Bush said | June 21st 2012 @ 1:30pm | Report comment
No one is suggesting it would be a carnival, nor does having a quota on the number of players from each team, one would presume it would be eleven (11) each, likely to cheapen the event/spectacle, it would simply be a way of ensuring that both countries and teams embrace the idea. That is all.
June 21st 2012 @ 6:39am
Pot Hale said | June 21st 2012 @ 6:39am | Report comment
““With the Gallipoli centenary coming up, an ANZAC team – a combined All Black-Wallaby team – playing the British Lions (is an option). Not necessarily in Turkey, maybe Twickenham, that would be a nice contest.”
I wonder will anyone tell John that Irish players are included in the Lions team as well – at least before they arrive in Oz next year?
Or maybe he could call it the Australasian Dingos vs British Lions commemoration match – keeping to colonial traditions.
June 21st 2012 @ 10:37am
HardcorePrawn said | June 21st 2012 @ 10:37am | Report comment
I think, in O’Neill’s defence (not an expression I ever thought I’d use!), he’s just gone a bit old-school with the name.
The Lions used to be referred to as the British Lions as the players came from the geographical region of the British Isles (of which Ireland is one).
As the term ‘British’ has latterly come to represent just the largest island of Great Britain (and Northern Ireland too, depending on what side of that particular fence you sit on) rather than the collection of islands, it was decided that the Lions should be known as the British and Irish Lions. You’ll always find a fair few people referring to the team as the British Lions, although maybe not too many of an Irish persuasion, and they’re not being deliberately disrespectful to the Irish (usually).
June 21st 2012 @ 7:52am
Sprigs said | June 21st 2012 @ 7:52am | Report comment
Fair enough to point out the potential problems, but these sorts of things can be overcome given the right spirit.
For me the idea has immediate appeal. What is ever wrong with fostering unity between nations, and particularly a couple with such a dramatic, intertwined history as Australia and New Zealand?
Turkish representatives could be invited as honoured guests.
As for the composition of the team, this can be sorted out with goodwill. A quota system could work, or even a division– forwards from one nation and backs from the other.
A series of two or more games could include some different players.
June 21st 2012 @ 7:56am
Swapacrate said | June 21st 2012 @ 7:56am | Report comment
This is the stupidest idea I have seen, maybe a World Team against the AB’s.
Nope dont like it. Im a counties supporter and AB’s supporter, Juniors, Maoris or NZ representative teams. Anything else is a waste of my time.
I had an idea for Maori team, but with all Maoris playing all over the World, that sounds better to me. Or a NZ international team, anyone can be selected as long as they are NZers. So guys like Nick Evans, Afoa, Thorne, even guys in NZ who dont make the Ab’s. That sounds better to me.
But not keen on anything else.
June 21st 2012 @ 8:00am
Swapacrate said | June 21st 2012 @ 8:00am | Report comment
Oh yeah Im half aussie, the half I uppercut in the morning
so I have no problem with Australia, I just like supporting NZ, and anything that helps NZ out.
June 21st 2012 @ 8:09am
Sam Taulelei said | June 21st 2012 @ 8:09am | Report comment
The biggest challenge for this concept to get off the ground is when to play the match in a world cup year? There will be little support to squeeze it in somewhere before the world cup with a full round of the 4 Nations. Which only leaves the window after the world cup which has little incentive for players on both sides.