Toulousain Posted February 3, 2008 Share Posted February 3, 2008 (edited) Posté sur PR: Midweek club games 'on' for All Blacks' tour By DAVID LONG - Sunday News | Sunday, 03 February 2008The All Blacks will play midweek games against European giants Munster and Stade Francais on this year's end-of-season Grand Slam tour. As flagged in Sunday News back in June, Graham Henry's Grand Slam-chasing team will be the first since the 1997 All Blacks to play midweek. USA Rugby boss Kevin Roberts - the man who masterminded a five-year partnership between New Zealand and the Americans announced by NZRU boss Steve Tew last week - let slip that the games were on when being interviewed on Friday. Sunday News understands the All Blacks will play Munster on November 19 while the Stade Francais clash has been approved to help mark the club's 125-year anniversary. The All Blacks already have games confirmed against Australia in Hong Kong - likely to be played on November 1 - Scotland (Nov Cool, Ireland (Nov 15), Wales (Nov 22) and England (Nov 29). Negotiations with a Welsh and English club are on-going as the NZRU look for a $15 million cash bonanza from the nine-game tour. It is understood Henry will select a record 40-45 players for the tour. The game against Munster - European champions in 2006 - is a coup for tour organisers as it comes 30 years after the province's famous 12-0 win against Graham Mourie's Grand Slam-winning All Blacks. Tew refused to be drawn on these latest developments but issued a statement saying: "As we have said all along and reiterated this week we are working on a number of possibilities and until we have final agreement on these it would be totally inappropriate to comment further." Meanwhile, Roberts said he could organise a touted game between the All Blacks and Ireland in New York at Giants Stadium to tie in with the All Blacks return from Europe in December. "I can tell you for sure that we haven't fixed a time in 2008 but I can also tell you we have the power and relationships with the NFL and Major Soccer League that if we were required to move very quickly we could,'' Roberts said. "The only rugby team the Americans have heard of is the All Blacks. They couldn't tell you who won the World Cup or where the Springboks come from but they could tell you about the mythology of the All Blacks. "So an All Blacks vs Ireland game would be a real spectator event. The media would like it and we'd be delighted to host that and handle all the marketing. "We'd make a big thing about it and I think players from both teams would like the trip. "If you talked to Jerry Collins and Rodney So'oialo, they're fatigued about going to South Africa three times a year, it's boring for these guys. But if you say they'll go to New York they'd love the experience. "For them, the chance of coming to the US and spending four or five days here isn't bad. So we'd be pretty excited about it." Traduction abrégée et condensée pour garder l'essentiel: L'équipe de Graham Henry sera la première depuis 1997 à jouer des matchs en semaine lors de sa tournée d'automne 2008, notamment contre le Munster (19 novembre) ainsi que contre le Stade Français pour marquer les 125 ans du club. Les ABs ont déjà des matchs confirmés contre l'Australie à Hong-Kong (probablement le 1er Nov.), puis l'Ecosse (8 Nov.), l'Irlande (15 Nov.), Galles (22 Nov.) et l'Angleterre (29 Nov.). Des négociations avec également un club Anglais ainsi qu'un club Gallois sont en cours. Henry sélectionnerait une équipe de 40-45 joueurs pour cette tournée. Le match contre le Munster marquerait le 30e anniversaire du match qui avait vu la province Irlandaise battre l'équipe de Graham Mourie (qui avait alors réalisé le Grand Chelem) sur le score de 12-0. Un match entre les ABs et les Irlandais serait également à l'étude pour être joué à New York dans le Giants Stadium (qui appartient à l'équipe NFL du même nom) sur le chemin du retour des All Blacks en décembre 2008. Quel coup de pub pour le Rugby aux US et en Asie si tout cela se réalise. Plus des matchs en semaine contre le Munster, le Stade Francais... Edited February 3, 2008 by Toulousain Link to comment
Roms Posted February 3, 2008 Share Posted February 3, 2008 Plus de matchs des Blacks pour plus de pognon pour les Blacks. A croire que les autres ne sont que des faire valoir, ce que dément pourtant le palmarès de la coupe du monde... Plus de matchs sur terrain neutre aussi et tant pis pour les supporters des deux équipes... Link to comment
Toulousain Posted February 3, 2008 Author Share Posted February 3, 2008 Plus de matchs sur terrain neutre aussi et tant pis pour les supporters des deux équipes... Ben moi qui suis au Québec je me ferai un plaisir d'aller les voir à New York. Et avec tous les expats (quelque soit leur nationalité) je ne me fais pas de souci pour les voir remplir le stade. Link to comment
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