From Bledisloe biff to BFFs: How shared NRL threat changed trans-Tasman rugby relations |
From Bledisloe biff to BFFs: How shared NRL threat changed trans-Tasman rugby relations
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Rugby Australia secured a few big wins in the past week.
The Anzac Day Test has become rugby’s worst-kept secret. Both sides have offered enough background information to give the concept air time without officially confirming it before all the details are ironed out.
This masthead understands they’ll both get at least $4 million, with the eventual height of the ceiling depending on a few commercial factors.
The second victory was the appointment of Steve Lancaster as New Zealand Rugby chief executive. Lancaster is an eminently likeable Kiwi rugby bloke who would be happiest having a yarn about the next No. 6 coming out of the Crusaders (yes, he’s another Crusaders man) rather than engaging in rugby politics.
His previous role within NZ Rugby involved dealing with their provincial unions, and as he recently told this masthead, those grassroots types have a way of humbling people.
RA’s ace card, though, is NZ Rugby chair David........