Australia and New Zealand may consider scrapping their remaining Tri-Nations matches against South Africa if the Springboks insist on leaving their best players at home to keep them fresh for the World Cup.
Australian and New Zealand officials are furious that the South Africans have picked a weakened squad for their two away matches.
The three countries were to hold an urgent telephone conference yesterday as the row threatens to develop into a full-blown crisis that could jeopardize the future of the southern hemisphere's annual championship.
Australian officials are threatening to cancel the matches against the Springboks and organize an extra game against New Zealand unless the South Africans agree to change their mind.
However, they conceded that was unlikely to happen because of their existing broadcasting arrangement, and also because tickets for both matches -- in Sydney on July 7 and in Christ-church a week later -- have already been on sale for several months.
"Australia and New Zealand are looking at whether it's at all possible but I think the practicality is that it's not the case," Australian Rugby Union spokesman Brian West told the Australian Associated Press.
"There are so many contracts in place with stadiums, broadcasters and the rest. I don't think it's got legs," he said.
New Zealand Rugby Union chairman Jock Hobbs said he was concerned the row would undermine the future of the game and follow the same route as soccer where most internationals are reduced to "friendlies."
"It's a huge concern, a major issue," Hobbs told the New Zealand Press Association.
"We're talking about the integrity and meaningfulness of international rugby. It's critical, it's the very heart and soul of our game," he said.
Meanwhile, South Africa suffered a further blow yesterday when loosehead prop Deon Carstens withdrew from the side to tour Australia and New Zealand.
Carstens has been replaced in the 28-man squad by CJ van der Linde.
The South African team lost loose forwards AJ Venter and Luke Watson on Monday. Venter has decided to retire from international rugby, while Watson is nursing a rib injury sustained on his Test debut against Samoa.
Kylian Mbappe struck from the penalty spot as Real Madrid beat a dogged CA Osasuna 1-0 on Tuesday to make a winning start in Spanish La Liga under new coach Xabi Alonso. The France striker, last season’s European Golden Shoe winner, scored early in the second half, after he was fouled in the area by Osasuna defender Juan Cruz. It was enough to seal the points in Alonso’s first game in charge at the Santiago Bernabeu, with Madrid now unbeaten in their opening fixture of a league campaign since 2008. “You can see that Kylian wants to do even more
‘CATASTROPHE’: Despite losing several key forwards in the summer transfer window, Bayern were up 3-0 in the first half before Harry Kane scored a hat-trick in the second Harry Kane hit a hat-trick, Michael Olise a double and newcomer Luis Diaz also scored as Bayern Munich made a “statement” against RB Leipzig 6-0 at home in the Bundesliga season opener on Friday. Bayern’s big-money arrivals, all brought in from the Premier League across the past three seasons, were dominant as the Bavarians begun their title defense in style. Olise scored twice in the first half, either side of a Diaz strike. Not to be outdone, Kane scored three goals in the second half — with two assists coming from Diaz, to bring Bayern’s total to 6-0. Kane told the Bundesliga
Kevin de Bruyne is to lead SSC Napoli’s Serie A title defense today when he makes his full debut at promoted US Sassuolo, but the champions head into the new season rocked by a long-term injury to star striker Romelu Lukaku. De Bruyne was, alongside aging icon Luka Modric, the big new name to arrive in Italy this summer and fans were hoping his linkup with Belgium teammate Lukaku would push Napoli to success both at home and in their return to the UEFA Champions League. The 34-year-old has suffered from hamstring injuries which caused him to miss significant chunks of the
FIGHTBACK: Taiwan’s Chan Hao-ching and Jiang Xinyu of China rallied from a set down to advance to the final of the women’s doubles at the Tennis in the Land Russian second seed Ekaterina Alexandrova on Thursday beat defending champion Linda Noskova 7-6 (7/5), 4-6, 6-2 at the Monterrey Open to secure her place in the semi-finals of the US Open tune-up event. Alexandrova, 14th in the world rankings, started the decider brightly after two tightly contested sets and while Czech Noskova fought back to level at 2-2, the Russian regained control to seal the victory in just over two hours at the WTA 500 event. “I’m really glad that I could make it through, even in three sets, because it was difficult today — she served so well, she hit so
RSS