New Zealand Rugby has played down prospects of the All Blacks hosting this year’s historic centenary Test against South Africa, with Perth shaping as the match’s likely venue.
The All Blacks are scheduled to play the Springboks twice in the Rugby Championship, with the first meeting in Dunedin on September 25 being the 100th Test in a riveting rivalry dating back to 1921.
New Zealand’s strict Covid-19 border controls have already led to two championship Tests against Argentina being moved to Australia and NZR chief Mark Robinson says the South Africa matches could also be shifted.
He explains: “We’d dearly love for those two games against the Springboks to be played here in New Zealand.
“We all recognise the significance of those games and the huge amount of importance they have on the legacy of the rivalry. We haven’t given up all hope, but the reality is we're living in challenging times.”
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