Share

England v All Blacks in Twickenham blockbuster?

London - England could play New Zealand a year earlier than scheduled if they can get an agreement to face the world champions at Twickenham on November 4, the Daily Mail reported on Wednesday.

A quirk of the international fixture schedule means that New Zealand and England - the top two teams in the world rankings - are not currently due to meet again until 2018.

But the prospect of New Zealand playing England before then has been given added spice by the knowledge that a victory for already-crowned Six Nations champions England against Ireland in Dublin on Saturday would see them surpass the All Blacks' record of 18 successive Test wins by a major rugby union side.

However, England have not faced New Zealand during their winning run, with their last match against the All Blacks a 24-21 loss at Twickenham in 2014.

New Zealand are due to play the Barbarians at Twickenham on November 4 in a match marking the invitational club's 125th anniversary.

But according to the Mail, Ian Ritchie - the chief executive of England's governing Rugby Football Union - is lobbying to get the All Blacks to face England on that date instead.

The Mail added that the major sticking point was over how the money generated from a likely 82 000 sell-out crowd would be divided, with the New Zealand Rugby Union - well aware of the All Blacks' worth - reportedly seeking a 50 percent share of the gate receipts, a figure equating to £3 million from the RFU, the world's wealthiest rugby union.

An RFU spokesperson told Britain's Press Association on Wednesday: "We are scheduled to play New Zealand in 2018 and if an opportunity came up to play them before then we would pursue it."

England are already due to face Argentina, Australia and Samoa at Twickenham in November.

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Voting Booth
Should Siya Kolisi keep the captaincy as the Springboks build towards their World Cup title defence in 2027?
Please select an option Oops! Something went wrong, please try again later.
Results
Yes! Siya will only be 36 at the next World Cup. He can make it!
25% - 1273 votes
No! I think the smart thing to do is start again with a younger skipper ...
29% - 1472 votes
I'd keep Siya captain for now, but look to have someone else for 2027.
45% - 2250 votes
Vote
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE