PM reiterates quarantine rules can’t be changed for All Blacks

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Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, pictured with New Zealand Rugby chairman Brent Impey at the 2019 Rugby World Cup, says she doubts the All Blacks would expect quaratine rules to be relaxed just for them. HANNAH PETERS/GETTY IMAGES

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern on Monday reiterated quarantine rules won’t be changed to allow the All Blacks to have Christmas with their families after the Rugby Championship in Australia.

And yet, she gave some hope that the All Blacks (and others) might be with their families for Christmas, telling TVNZ’s Breakfast show it was “possible’’ travel to some states of Australia could happen before the end of the year, under a new ‘hot spot’ approach.

The Rugby Championship is being played in New South Wales and Queensland in November and December.

New Zealand Rugby officials are unhappy with the last round being played on December 12, a date that won’t allow the All Blacks to clear a two-week quarantine period on their return in time to join their families for Christmas.

NZR have raised concerns with Sanzaar, claiming it had been agreed earlier that the final matches would be played on December 6.

Ardern told NewstalkZB on Monday she doubted the All Blacks would want the quarantine rules to be relaxed just for them.

”Ultimately, our view was the easiest way to avoid the situation that the All Blacks possibly face was to stick to the 6th December dates for games, which was agreed,’’ she said.

“Moving beyond that does of course mean they will be in quarantine over that period.”

Ardern said she thought “the All Blacks would expect us to treat them the same way that we treat others.

“There are others who won’t want to be stuck in quarantine over Christmas, but that’s just the reality of our process

“And, so, again, I don’t think [the All Blacks] would feel that comfortable with us creating a different regime for them, because it exists for the same reason.’’

Wallabies coach Dave Rennie is backing a Rugby Championship re-think to allow the All Blacks to be home for Christmas.

He said it would be “hypocritical’’ of Rugby Australia not to support the All Blacks’ case after New Zealand Rugby had backed a similar option for the Wallabies were the tournament to be staged in New Zealand.

Rennie said “there is talk of a bubble opening up between New South Wales and New Zealand’’, but Ardern indicated that there were still plenty of issues to be resolved before that could be implemented.

Asked by NewstalkZB presenter Mike Hosking, ‘What’s stopping us doing that this week?’, she said: “In part we would have to make sure we were excluding those states where there were still issues, obviously Victoria. Then you have to make sure they’ve got a firm border between Victoria and those states from which you are opening up travel.

“Then you’ve got to make sure you’ve got routes that do not have transit passengers on them. Currently, everyone that’s coming in and out of Australia and New Zealand have travellers coming in and out of Covid areas.’’

Ardern said New Zealand was “always open’’ to travel bubble with some states, but Australia had only recently moved to more of a “hot spot arrangement’’ after previously taking a “whole of Australia’’ approach.

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