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The governing body of New Zealand rugby, the NZRU has released information on incoming tests in 2016-2017. The All Blacks will continue the policy of hosting three home tests in the month of June and also three Rugby Championship home internationals in these years. An addition Bledisloe Cup test will see a seventh home test in the year of 2016.
The All Blacks will welcome Wales in 2016 for a three match tour with test matches scheduled to be played in Auckland, Wellington and Dunedin. The series is of note not only for Wales rarely playing three test tours abroad but also because it carries the potential of placing Wales in a very difficult position regarding Rugby World Cup 2019.
The draw for the Japanese hosted World Cup will be based on seedings which for Rugby World Cup 2015 were made on the official World Rankings as of December 01 2012. In the month of November Wales had suffered home losses against Argentina, Australia, New Zealand and Samoa to fall to ninth in the world and subsequently found itself in an unfavorable pool, joining both Australia and England in addition to subsequent qualifiers Fiji and Uruguay.
Had Wales achieved more favorable results then the draw for the World Cup would have been less complicated. As it turned out Wales was outside of the top two bands of four teams each as was Scotland in the draw for 2011. In that case Scotland joined Argentina and England with the higher ranked Wales being grouped with South Africa as the only other Tier 1 side.
Wales’ tour of New Zealand is therefore likely to be placed under increased scrutiny as it draws closer, particularly if Wales fail to get out of Pool A at thus year’s Rugby World Cup. Should Wales fail to finish in the top two then the Dragons would be eliminated at the group stage thereby pilling pressure on the coaching staff and administration. A tour to New Zealand is far from a smooth means of recovery.
Also in 2016 the All Blacks will play host to Argentina, Australia and South Africa with the Wallabies playing two matches in the country, the second of which will not be a Rugby Championship fixture. Argentina’s match will be played at Waikato Stadium in Hamilton, the same venue which hosted the corresponding fixture in 2013. Los Pumas also played against the All Blacks at the ground in a June international in 2004 and faced Fiji there in Rugby World Cup 1987.
In 2017 the All Blacks will play host to the British and Irish Lions and are to host the visitors in an all-together different manner to that of previous tours. While in 2005 the tourists played against provincial New Zealand sides and had the three tests spread around New Zealand’s largest cities in 2017 Auckland will host two of the tests with the South Island missing out.
The tour will begin on June 03 with the British and Irish Lions playing against a Provincial Union in Whangarei before playing against Super Rugby sides the Blues, Crusaders and Hiughlanders in Auckland, Christchurch and Dunedin. Rotorua and Hamilton will then host matches against the Maori All Blacks and Chiefs before Auckland hosts the first test and Wellington plays host to the Hurricanes v Lions on June 27 followed by the second test match on July 01. The tour will end in Auckland with the third test being played on July 08.
The decision to play two Lions tests in Auckland is centred on Christchurch continuing to be without an adequately sized stadium following the devastating earthquake in 2011. Also at play, however, is the market size with Auckland’s Eden Park easily being New Zealand’s largest stadium.
Auckland’s QBE Stadium in North Harbour will also host the home 2017 Rugby Championship fixture against South Africa while Australia will play in Dunedin and Argentina will do so in New Plymouth. Los Pumas are to play on September 09 at the unfamiliar Yarrow Stadium. It hosted matches during both Rugby World Cups 1987 and 2011 but has never hosted a Pumas test.
