Boks and Irish plan UAE test

Ulstermell0

World champions South Africa want to play Ireland in a one-off Test in the United Arab Emirates later this year.

The Springboks plan to launch their northern hemisphere tour in the Middle East in November, before heading to the UK for matches against Wales, Scotland and England.

If the event proves a success, South Africa will seek to play more fixtures in the region, with a Tri-Nations match against Australia on the agenda for 2009.

The Mandela Challenge match against the Irish is awaiting final approval from the International Rugby Board.


taken from PA

P_1

Can't say I'm for that tbh. Imagine playing rugby in 40+ degrees cannot be too good in the middle of our season.

Stev_o

pithater1 wrote: »

Can't say I'm for that tbh. Imagine playing rugby in 40+ degrees cannot be too good in the middle of our season.

Would be played at around 9 at night i presume

P_1

Stev_o wrote: »

Would be played at around 9 at night i presume

Still, an unwelcome distraction in the middle of our season.

RuggieBear

still a Test match

vladimirtheass

this just shows what the IRFU will do for money, if they wanted just results from test matches which is what steady eddie lead us all to believe, then if we do play the world champions this autmn series it has to be in croker where we have a chance. mind you i hardly think the irfu would make more away from a packed out croke park?

i don't think we'll have a prayer of beating the boks in the middle east.as was said above its an unwelcome distraction having to go that far in november for a test. the irfu are not thinking about the players at all, considering they already have to play the puma's,kiwi's and canada.the munster players also have the small matter of a game against new zealand!

[Jackass]

I'd be happy for this to go ahead only if complete reserve players were used. Any first team, or even squad, provence players should not travel. What is the point of this cr@p in the middle of the season? A feckin irrelivant, "once off" exebition match in the UAE to raise a bit of funding? That's what we're supposed to put our key players on the line for? No way...

P_1

RuggieBear wrote: »

still a Test match

Still a test match true, but why should we play an exibition' match halfway around the world to raise funds for the South African RFU?
This could cost us vital ranking points and leave us in a 'pool of death' come the next World Cup. Thats my main argument against this farce.

Diamondmaker

Politics and money ! It cant be got away from.

The kiwis are playing the Ozzies in a Tri Nations game in Hong Kong !

Crash

Meh, I think while you can label it all as cash and politics, if it helps to build support and interest in the game in nations where there is little normally, then i'm all for it. Maybe i'm just an idealist though, who knows.

Diamondmaker

crash_000 wrote: »

Meh, I think while you can label it all as cash and politics, if it helps to build support and interest in the game in nations where there is little normally, then i'm all for it. Maybe i'm just an idealist though, who knows.

Nah ! These 2 fixtures are unashemadly about cash. Its an opportunity to sell the events to a lucrative market. It may promote further games being played in HK and Dubai but it is not going to promote the actual take up of rugby in Dubai, thats for sure.

Rugby is suffering a relapse in Japan a japanese player was telling me. It made great head wya a few years ago but is no falling on the way siode to Man Ute etc....It was an absolute crime to allow Japan lose interest in the game this way when hosting the RWC would have been an amazing opportunity to promote it to what is a wealthy country with some level of existing interest.

me thinks politics again is to play as the NZRU is suffering financially and needed the RWC to boost coffers.

davyjose

Stev_o wrote: »

Would be played at around 9 at night i presume

It won't be 40 degrees in November either

dc69

See the problem with this is that,Ireland would be under contractual agreement to bring over a certain amount of "stars",so they cant just send over the A side.

Its the same in every international that is held purely for money purposes.

D.S.

It's an unnecessary game in the middle of a busy season. That being said, it is the professional era and the IRFU do have to earn money to fund the game. I would be interested to know the payback the IRFU would be looking at for heading over.