SANZAAR will attempt to move away from a fixed Bledisloe Cup schedule.GETTY IMAGES
Bledisloe Cup "boffins are plotting a major shakeup," according to Georgina Robinson of the SYDNEY MORNING HERALD. SANZAAR will look to "move away from the fixed schedule" that has been in place since '12 and consider options that will give the four-nation competition "a different feel each year." The shake-up, considered as part of the '21 broadcast deal talks, "could break up the first two Bledisloe Cup fixtures which, in an era of All Blacks dominance, have led to a sharp drop-off in interest" from Australian fans early in the competition. But it could also "placate an increasingly discontented South Africa," which, under the current format, shoulders "the bulk of the travel demands." The Springboks play three tests on the road each year, "the most of any of the four nations." Australia, Argentina and New Zealand each play two tests away, but the All Blacks "are the only nation to host three home games in a row." The "SANZAAR 2030 strategy" paper addressed the issue, "raising the prospect" of rotating home doubleheader matches against a single nation (SMH, 8/9).
