RFU working to organise All Blacks fixture

Editor

Reports in the UK press on Wednesday suggest that the RFU are working to arrange a Test with the All Blacks for later this year.

The Six Nations champions were previously not due to play New Zealand until 2018. However in a reaction to the growing hype over the prospect of the top two sides in the world facing off against each other, multiple reports now suggest efforts are being made to arrange a fixture for this November.

According to the Daily Mail and the Telegraph discussions are now underway between the RFU and NZRU.

England are already due to face Argentina, Australia and Samoa in November, following on from their tour of Argentina in the middle of the year.

The fixture would need to take place outside of the designated international window and would potentially happen on December 4 at Twickenham, replacing the scheduled contest between the All Blacks and the Barbarians which has not yet been finalised.

Report also suggest that the NZRU would want half the share of the gate receipts for the fixture, around £3million.

An RFU spokesman told the Telegraph: “We are playing New Zealand in 2018. If an opportunity arose to play New Zealand before 2018 we would pursue it.”

England and New Zealand last played each other at Twickenham back in 2014, when the All Blacks triumphed 24-21.