Newly formed All Blacks XV to face Fiji in Vancouver

David Skippers

The newly formed All Blacks XV, Fiji, USA and Canada will participate in the inaugural Halloween Rugby Weekend, at BC Place Stadium in Vancouver this October.

The games will feature the All Blacks XV squaring off against the Flying Fijians on Halloween night, Saturday, October 31, and Canada hitting the pitch against their continental rivals the USA on Friday, October 30.

The event is the first leg of a three-city world tour by the All Blacks XV team and was announced prior to the final of the wildly successful Vancouver Sevens tournament also staged at BC Place.

All Blacks hooker Nathan Harris and Fiji fly-half Ben Volavola were in attendance at the Vancouver Sevens and are excited to compete in front of Vancouver fans this October.

“Vancouver is a great city and BC Place an exciting venue and I know the All Blacks XV will love playing here,” said Harris.

“This would be an awesome way for rugby fans to come out and celebrate Halloween.”

Volavola echoed Harris’ sentiments and is looking forward to the event.

“We’ve seen fans go crazy for the Canada 7s in Vancouver and we know they will be equally excited about the Halloween Rugby Weekend,” he said.

“It will be a big occasion for the players to entertain such a fun and lively crowd. They love their rugby.”

On Monday, New Zealand Rugby (NZR)  announced the establishment of the All Blacks XV as a new high performance team which will assemble this year and undertake a mini tour of the Northern Hemisphere.

The match against Fiji in Vancouver is one of three matches the All Blacks XV will play on that tour. Details of the two other All Blacks XV matches will be announced in due course.

NZR Chief Rugby Officer Nigel Cass said the team will provide a new national team aspiration for current professional players, and a career step towards the All Blacks for many.

It follows in the footsteps of similar teams which have assembled throughout New Zealand recent rugby’s history, including the Junior All Blacks, New Zealand A and Emerging Players.

“The All Blacks XV will be our second-tier team below the All Blacks and made up New Zealand’s ‘next best’ players,” said Cass.

“This is a fantastic opportunity for those players to experience a national team environment and prove themselves on the international stage, or for those who have already worn the All Blacks jersey to get more game time at this level and potentially earn a recall to the team.

“The high-performance benefits of this team will be significant. It will help to develop the next group of players, many of whom will likely become our future All Blacks, as well as give further opportunities for our coaches and other team personnel.

“We also believe that this will aid with retention of players and personnel in New Zealand, which will benefit our Super Rugby clubs and provincial unions as well as the All Blacks.”

Cass said that, while the concept of a second-tier national team was not new in New Zealand, the intention was for the All Blacks XV to become a regular national team playing second-tier overseas opposition.

“Teams such as the New Zealand A team and the Junior All Blacks who last played in the Pacific Nations Cup in 2009 have filled a similar high-performance role and have done so effectively, with a very high percentage going on to play for the All Blacks.

“These teams have been sporadic in the past, and we believe that there is great value in making this a regular national team going forward.

“Beyond its high-performance role, this new team also has real commercial value for NZR. It will play offshore in growing rugby markets that are of strategic and commercial importance, allowing us to showcase and grow New Zealand’s brand of rugby in many more parts of the world.”

New Zealand Rugby Players’ Association (NZRPA) CEO Rob Nichol said the team was a positive move for players.

“Players are excited about the prospects of this team,” he said.

“If they don’t quite make the All Blacks touring squad, being able to push their case through Super Rugby and Mitre 10 Cup for selection to the All Blacks XV will be a strong motivator for many.

“It will provide an opportunity for quality players to tour and represent their country against some tough international opposition, to play alongside players and work with coaches they respect and a platform to continue that push for higher honours. When you contemplate what this team will look like and the type of rugby it will be capable of, it’s quite intriguing.”

NZR has formed an exclusive partnership with sports promotion company Left Field Live (LFL) to arrange, promote and deliver the All Blacks XV matches in 2020 and 2021.

“We have previously worked with the team at LFL on international games including the two All Blacks matches in Chicago and the UK Barbarians match in 2017,” Cass said. “We know that they bring great events experience and promotional skills to the table, so we have great confidence in what they will deliver for this team.”