All Blacks rugby players Rieko Ioane, George Bridge, Damian McKenzie and Will Jordan look on during a training session at Rugby Park on Tuesday. Picture: Getty Images
Talk about happy campers! And, being pretty in pink!
The New Zealand All Blacks rugby players have taken a giant step towards playing Test rugby soon by holding a training camp in the eastern Bay of Plenty town of Whakatane.
This was the first face-to-face meeting between new All Blacks coach Ian Foster and the players after his naming of a national squad following the Super Rugby Aotearoa competition.
The All Blacks are scheduled to play Australia in two Bledisloe Cup matches – in Wellington on 11 October and in Auckland the following weekend – the first rugby Tests since the Six Nations in Europe was put on hold in late March due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
There is also a chance the All Blacks and Wallabies will be involved in the Rugby Championship, also including the Springboks and Argentina, in November and December.
SA Rugby have yet to decide on the Boks’ participation in the competition, but how the South Africans – World Cup winners last year – must wish they, too, could be preparing for some action.
For now they’re going to have to settle for some local stuff, with a Super Rugby double-header scheduled for Loftus Versfeld in Pretoria this weekend and a Springbok trial match – between a Green and Gold team – at Newlands next weekend.
Oh well, at least we can enjoy some training action, even if it is by the Boks’ biggest rivals.
Shannon Frizell, Sam Cane and Hoskins Sotutu go through drills during a New Zealand All Blacks training session at Rugby Park. Picture: Getty Images
New Zealand captain Sam Cane and Aaron Smith discuss matters during the training session at Rugby Park. Picture: Getty Images
Head coach Ian Foster gives instructions during a New Zealand All Blacks training session at Rugby Park on Tuesday. Picture: Getty Images
Prop Nepo Laulala runs through drills during a New Zealand training session ahead of the All Blacks’ return to Test rugby next month. Picture: Getty Images
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