All Blacks

The Chiefs flanker was give the job despite a lack of international rugby on the horizon.

It was 8 years ago that Cane made his debut for the All Blacks as a 19 year old, but he'd tasted higher level rugby at the age of 16 when he spent a week training with the Chiefs.

He'd always been ear-marked for bigger and better things.

The 28 year old has played 68 tests for the All Blacks, three of those as captain.

In a video interview on Carter’s Facebook page, the former All Blacks captain discussed a time during a match where he inadvertently took away a chance for Carter to eclipse former England first-five Jonny Wilkinson’s all-time record for the most test points scored.

“I only found out that out quite a bit later,” McCaw told journalist Lee McKenzie when asked about the incident. “I was surprised DC didn’t actually tell me he was getting close.

While the $7.4m loss represents a 37 per cent improvement on budget, NZR financial officer Nicki Nicol warned of the significant impacts Covid-19 will bring.

“At New Zealand Rugby we are forecasting up to a 70 per cent decline in revenue and we’ve had to quickly adjust our cost base accordingly,” Nicol said at Thursday’s annual general meeting.

“We know this has had an impact across all areas of our game; our players, teams, competitions, programmes and partnerships with provincial unions, Super clubs and others across the industry.

They chartered two planes, loaded them up with facemasks, and had them flown here from Shanghai in China.

An Air New Zealand Dreamliner touched down at Christchurch Airport on Saturday morning.

On board was a cargo hold full of personal protective equipment (PPE).

"These are bfN98 surgical masks that will be distributed to the CDHB [Canterbury District Health Board] on Monday," says Interbuild Products director Nick Ash.

Ash has a business importing building supplies from around the world.

But coming in at a combined $25 million, or 50 per cent of their remaining payments for this year, this blow stung in an entirely different way.

After several weeks of negotiations, details were confirmed concerning pay cuts for the country's leading players as New Zealand Rugby braced for a signifcant financial hit as a result of the coronavirus crisis.

The figures, though, would only come to fruition if a resumption of matches in 2020 simply wasn't possible.

Gatland, 56, was in charge as the Lions and the All Blacks drew their three-Test series in New Zealand in 2017.

The former Wales coach says a fourth fixture could help rugby to generate revenue after the coronavirus crisis.

"It's potentially an opportunity to make four or five million pounds," Gatland told Sky Sport.

Ahead of next summer's tour, he raised the prospect of a meeting with the All Blacks as preparation, saying he had already spoken with NZ Rugby chief executive Mark Robinson about a game with the New Zealand Maori.

A group of Crusaders players, including Mo'unga, were filmed training at a Christchurch park on Monday.

The gathering appeared to go against the government's lockdown rules, but Mo'unga said it was a coincidence that the players were in the same place at the same time.

In an Instagram video, Mo'unga explained he could be a better role model and said he made no excuses.

Punters worldwide have hit the polls on RugbyPass’ Facebook and Instagram accounts as part of the initiative to decide the world’s best players in each position, as voted by the fans.

Two instalments of the series have already passed, with England second rower Maro Itoje dispatching South Africa’s Eben Etzebeth for the lock title, while World Rugby player of the year Pieter-Steph du Toit pipped All Blacks star Ardie Savea in the flanker vote.

With the coronavirus alert level ramping up from level two to three on Monday and moving to level four from midnight Wednesday, the already tenuous Super Rugby replacement competition has been put on indefinite hold, putting further economic pressure on NZ Rugby.

The confirmation today from finance minister Grant Robertson that the Covid-19 financial relief package would be extended to incorporated societies means NZ Rugby will be eligible for a payout but Robinson said tonight what that looked like remained to be seen.

The 57-cap halfback, who played his last test for New Zealand in 2007 and retired from all rugby in 2012, had his case called this morning in the Auckland District Court.

He was named yesterday after name suppression lapsed and faced charges of assault and wilful damage allegedly involving his fiancee’s ex-partner.

Today, he was granted diversion and his charges were dismissed.

Kelleher, 43, was not required to appear in court for a hearing.