The final Bledisloe Cup Test scheduled to be played in Perth next Saturday has been cancelled after the All Blacks made the decision not to travel to Australia.
After already taking an unassailable two-nil lead to retain the Bledisloe Cup for another year, the New Zealand outfit opted out of sending their players to Perth amid significant uncertainty and changing quarantine restrictions.
"NZR has also confirmed that, given the current uncertainty over The Rugby Championship schedule, it has made the decision not to send the All Blacks to Perth this weekend for the third Bledisloe Cup Test which was scheduled to be played at Optus Stadium on Saturday 28 August," a statement on Friday read.
Gutted.
— All Blacks (@AllBlacks) August 20, 2021
New Zealand Rugby CEO Mark Robinson explained the rationale behind the decision.
"Without complete certainty on the team’s next movements around The Rugby Championship we felt it was prudent for the team to stay put in New Zealand until SANZAAR have announced the full tournament schedule," Robinson said.
"Once the team leaves our shores, they currently can’t return until November 23 post their Northern Tour, so given the uncertainty, it makes sense to pause and get more clarity on these fixtures.
"We remain 100 percent committed to playing in the entire Fortinet Rugby Championship in 2021 and are working closely with SANZAAR to look at a range of options to reschedule these important matches."
More to come.
