The boss of New Zealand rugby says he’s wary of seeing too large a gulf in quality develop across the Tasman.
A second Bledisloe Cup thrashing, six Test defeats on the trot and a poor Super Rugby club campaign have made for a miserable 2016 rugby season in Australia.
The Wallabies barely had a chance in the second Bledisloe Test in Wellington on Saturday, failing to score a try and running the ball 187m to New Zealand’s 411m.
Meanwhile, the rampant hosts and world champions crossed the line four times en route to a 14th consecutive Bledisloe Cup crown.
NZ Rugby chief executive Steve Tew enjoyed the All Blacks’ victory over their rivals as much as any other Kiwi but said he didn’t want to have it too easy.
It was in New Zealand rugby’s interests to have a competitive international landscape and unions in good health, he said.
“We want Australia, South Africa, Argentina and Japan, who are currently very important partners of ours, to be in good financial shape and performing on the paddock,” Tew told reporters on Monday.
“We like to beat Australia but you don’t want it to get too far away.”
Tew made no apology for the All Blacks’ strength across the field but said the union was always open to assisting its sister bodies overseas.
He said the NZ Rugby and ARU boardrooms were on good terms despite the turmoil surrounding the All Blacks hotel bugging scandal in Sydney.
“No-one wants an inevitable outcome in sport, because that’s the beauty of the game,” Tew said.
“We can only do what we can.”
Tew also clarified NZ Rugby’s decision to withhold the bugging for five days from Australian police and claimed the hotel had been investigating.
He acknowledged in hindsight the situation could have been handled better.
However, he said the bugging was proof NZ Rugby were justified in conducting security sweeps and being on high alert.
“Probably the delay in giving it to the police is something we’ll reflect on and say we could’ve done better,” Tew said.
“There’s nothing sinister about it, we simply relied on the hotel to get on and find out what was going on.”
The matter was now in the hands of Australian police.
Tew also said the review of New Zealand’s disappointing rugby sevens Olympic Games campaign, which garnered just one silver medal, would be released in October.
The All Blacks have not lost since August 2015 and are undefeated at home for almost seven years.
taylorman
Roar Guru
Agree... Its hypeless...
BobTodd
Guest
Haser I think you might have missed the point of what I was saying… Which would seem to justify my argument that the best and brightest of your people leaving the country if you are anything to go by. I’ll leave a bowl out for all the chips on your shoulder. Best of luck. BobTodd
clipper
Guest
Don't think Rugby is in decline around the world, just in Australia - going great guns elsewhere, league on the other hand...
Republican
Guest
....whatever the intent, the effect is to the benefit of NZ sport. Is it time NZ UNION put their money where their mouth is? This would also top up their coffers by adding a few million eyes to a sport that is on the ropes here? NZ won't of course because they have way too much to lose in respect of their national identity and dominance over Australia, the latter being a national obsession.
Republican
Guest
.....ah yes that song should have read 'there's a fraction too much fiction' in respect of all things Kiwi.
ClarkeG
Guest
you mean like your 5 super rugby teams playing against our 5 super rugby teams.
ClarkeG
Guest
You're clever enough to know they are fictional right? - much like some of the posts of your's that I have read today.
ClarkeG
Guest
yes - fair point.
Sylvester
Guest
My only concern with that is those leagues are top tier in Australasia for those sports. As soon as you start adding new overseas teams to the NPC, it starts looking like a poor man's Super Rugby and all a bit samey. I'd certainly support individual Aussie players being granted exemption to play in NZ teams.
Sylvester
Guest
More likely fostering their coffers through access to a few million more pairs of eyes...
kingplaymaker
Roar Guru
This is just a wind up from Tew: he knows that the particular disparity over the past three years is due to coaching rather than anything deeper.
Republican
Guest
........yes, I sense this also. This is a cultural phenomena that is perhaps symptomatic of our sporting accolades or lack thereof. I do believe we are more a nation of disparate states and much divided, which is born out in the political dynamic we are currently experiencing. We are a symbiosis of our political, social and economical predicament, so in that respect we should take more responsibility as opposed to looking to scapegoat, as seems to be the Australian way today.
Boomeranga
Guest
They tightened the SOO rules in 2012: https://www.nrl.com/portals/nrl/RadEditor/Documents/2015/AboutUs/StateofOriginEligibilityExplained.pdf IMO they now produce a more legitimate representation than Union eligibility rules.
Republican
Guest
.......they can't be beaten by the Wallabies and thats no hype. That the Wallabies will ever threaten in terms of world dominance, well that is moot.
Republican
Guest
....you are probably correct Dan however this is not the case in so many other codes where Australia continues to foster NZ sport by affording them a presence in our domestic leagues amongst others........
Republican
Guest
......too true blue. The reality remains that the code was always a niche one here though and as such we should not be comparing ourselves with NZ, which has been the our downfall in many respects. The code won't survive here and nor will it be mourned by too many, of that I am reasonably confident. This may not be ideal for NZ rugby short term but I expect one of your greatest brands the AB's will survive, i.e. until the Australian diaspora takes hold over the next 25years, then you may well experience a cultural shift in the sporting status quo.
taylorman
Guest
I see the All Blacks are still giving Bryan ODriscoll nightmares, tweeting then removing them before his tweets got picked up. He even had a go at NZ as a whole. Used to respect BOD. No longer. Yes 2005 was bad but still harping on 11 years later. Nah... Think of it this way. He avoided having 18 and 0 instead of the 14 and 0 he ended up with. ? Move along...life's too short...
Republican
Guest
.....I think they worry that the code is on the decline around the world. This would be a travesty for NZ, to have to play with themselves, since this the code that pits them globally to define their national identity and brand in many respects. They still have those hobbits to fall back on I suppose.
taylorman
Guest
Yes I realise that. I was sarcastically pointing out that he chooses to hold that stance.....and he oversees the All Blacks?! He can easily hold that view with any other sport, any other team, anywhere...
Republican
Guest
.....or reciprocate our domestic sporting leagues i.e. League, Soccer & Basketball by affording us a presence in their coveted NPC?