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SBW's withdrawal shows Anzac Test is a dud

23rd April, 2014
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The SBW-OMG NRL promo (Image: Channel Nine)
Roar Guru
23rd April, 2014
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Sonny Bill Williams decision to boycott the Anzac Test next Friday night is another blow to the credibility of the fixture.

Williams has withdrawn from the game due to his continued anger at being implicated in a sleeping pill and energy drink scandal on last year’s World Cup tour of England.

Kiwis selector Richie Barnett insists that Williams was never in consideration for selection anyway, because he is not a part of the Kiwis future plans.

However Williams was named the best player on the planet last year, so for a one-off game Barnett’s logic seems flawed.

More flawed though is the entire Anzac Day concept. Why has this fixture been so underwhelming?

The fixture started in 1997 and there was a fuss about the use of the word ‘Anzac’. The word Anzac is protected in Australia and requires permission of the Minister for Veterans’ Affairs for use in commercial events.

This permission was given for the event from 1997–1999. From 2004 until 2008 the match was officially called the Bundaberg Rum League Test, after the principal sponsor, Bundaberg Rum. For the 2009 fixture, the principal sponsor was Victoria Bitter and, as such, the match was officially called the VB Test.

Despite the official name change, it is still common for the match to be called the Anzac Test, despite the fact the game has only been played once on Anzac Day.

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Two different trophies have been awarded for the winner of the Test. From 1997–1999 the winner was awarded the Anzac Trophy. Since 2004, the winner has been awarded the Bill Kelly Memorial Trophy.

In 2011 the Bill Kelly Memorial Trophy was not played for in the Anzac Test, but instead in a one-off post-season Test match.

In 2007, the New Zealand rugby league announced that the Anzac Test would not be contested after 2008, citing difficulties with selecting their best possible team for a match held at that time of year.

However the fixture has continued. Australia has won 13 of the 14 matches by an average score of 30-11. The Kangaroos last tasted defeat in 1998, the inaugural year of the NRL.

This game has nothing on the AFL’s Anzac Day blockbuster at the MCG. It’s a confusing mess with no real feel of tradition, hype or rivalry.

Between 1997 and 2014 there have been some memorable matches between Australia and New Zealand, but this game has been often plagued by a lukewarm reception from players and sponsors.

Is it time for the game to be scrapped? Why have the players not produced great football in this fixture?

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What can be done to re-market the event more effectively? Do we need a constant diet of sport on Anzac Day?

How often and when should New Zealand and Australia play Test matches?

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