NZ Rugby confirms offer for a Kangaroos-All Blacks hybrid showdown
New Zealand Rugby boss Mark Robinson has confirmed an approach to participate in a trans-Tasman hybrid clash between the All Blacks and Kangaroos in December.
The Australian Rugby League and the New Zealand Rugby are both considering the potentially historic clash following a proposal put forward by promoter Dean Lonergan for a game in early December.
Such proposals for hybrid cross-code clashes are not new and Australian rugby league sources with knowledge of the proposal say the Kangaroos-All Blacks concept is still very much embryonic, but Robinson confirmed the offer had been tabled and was under consideration by the NZR board.
While Robinson said NZR's priority is to play rugby Tests at the end of the year – including up to four Bledisloe Cup games – a clash with the Kangaroos was not instantly dismissed given the hard financial times both sides of the Tasman are enduring during the COVID-19 pandemic.
"We must be very clear that our priority is for the All Blacks to play international rugby for the remainder of the year and we've talked about the uncertainty around that," Robinson said.
"But we've had the option put to us of this hybrid game with the Kangaroos. It's one of many different scenarios in a unique year like this that we are considering with being innovative and having a focus on trying to consider revenue-generating ideas at this time given the financial climate that we're in."
How the concept would work remains to be seen, given the differences in rules between the rival codes.
In the past the suggestion has been one half of rugby rules, the other rugby league rules.
But a 14-a-side game with hybrid rules has been the subject of discussion between NZR and the NRL.
The match is slated for early December, after the bulk of the Kangaroos have completed State of Origin duties.
That could be a hurdle for the possible trans-Tasman, cross-code blockbuster as there has been talk of as many as four Bledisloe Cup Tests being played in a similar timeframe.
Could Boyd Cordner lead the Kangaroos against the All Blacks in December?Credit:Getty
“Anything like that, where there’s an opportunity to grow the game of rugby league and in particular at a time like now, I think it’s a great idea,” he said.
“I’ve always maintained I’ve love to play rep football for as long as I’m up for it. If my form provided to be there, I’d love to play something like that. It’d be unreal, great to look back on and experience something like that.”
Melbourne Storm coach Craig Bellamy said the match was one he would enjoy watching but wasn’t sure how the rules would work.
“Someone said they’d have rugby union rules for one half and rugby league for another half,” he said. “I wouldn’t like to be a rugby league player at the bottom of one of them mauls. That’d be an ugly place to be if you’re not used to it.”
More to come
with AAP