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Wallabies chasing game in Hong Kong
By Bret Harris
July 13, 2007
THE Australian Rugby Union is planning to stage an extra Test between Australia and New Zealand in Hong Kong at the end of next year to extend its reach into Asia.
While the match would be an official Test, it would not be part of the 2008 Bledisloe Cup or Tri-Nations series.
Australia already has an official accord with Japan while China is regarded as a sleeping giant of world rugby and offers a potentially lucrative market for merchandising.
The presence of the Wallabies and All Blacks in Hong Kong would also be a boost to the development of the game in China.
The ARU and the NZRU (New Zealand Rugby Union) originally envisaged playing the game on mainland China, but chose Hong Kong because of the popularity of rugby in the former British colony.
The annual Hong Kong Sevens tournament is one of the highlights of the international calendar.
"This has been explored for a couple of months," ARU head of public affairs and communications Brian West said.
"It's on the cards. There are some hurdles to overcome, in terms of getting the schedule right.
"We are also working through the workload on the players and those sorts of issues.
"The IRB (International Rugby Board) is keen to expand rugby in tier two nations and we (Australia and New Zealand) both want to expand in Asia, particularly China.
"Rugby is the game of choice of the People's Liberation Army, which has about 100,000 players.
"China is close to home. We've investigated it and we are working through it."
The match will be played at Hong Kong's National Stadium either immediately before or after Australia's tour of Europe in November next year.
The game's timing will depend on whether New Zealand adds an extra game to the All Blacks' European tour.
The All Blacks are playing England, Ireland and Wales, but it is understood they are also looking at playing Scotland and another European team.
At the moment the Wallabies are scheduled to play Ireland (Melbourne) and France (Sydney and Brisbane) next year before the Tri-Nations.
The Wallabies finish the year with Tests against England, France and Italy on their European tour.