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Bledisloe Test still on

Bledisloe Test still on

09/08/2010 07:38:57 AM

Australian Rugby Union boss John O'Neill is adamant next month's fourth Bledisloe Cup Test will go ahead at Hong Kong Stadium as planned.

Sluggish ticket sales ahead of the October 30 clash has led to speculation the clash could either be cancelled or shifted to another venue, with England mooted as a possible destination.

But O'Neill, who attended the unveiling of a sculpture in honour of Wallabies living legend Ken Catchpole at the SCG on Wednesday afternoon, insists both the ARU and New Zealand Rugby Union remain committed to making the Hong Kong Test a success.

"The game's certainly not being cancelled ... we've got to make it work," O'Neill said.

"It's fair to say that ticket sales have not been as we had hoped and there's a number of reasons for that which NZRU and ourselves are working on right at the moment."

"Steve Tew and his team are in town for the next couple of days so we'll be having some deep and meaningful conversations with the Hong Kong Rugby Union in the next 48 hours."

"There are no plans to cancel the match. We've got to find ways and means of getting ticket sales back to what they should be."

O'Neill was coy when asked how many of the 40,000 tickets on offer are yet to be sold, however Sportal understands less than 10,000 tickets have been snapped up so far.

The previous Hong Kong Bledisloe Test in 2008 was a sell-out.

Asked to account for the sluggish sales, O'Neill hinted a lack of action from the Hong Kong Rugby Union was largely to blame and also confirmed the fourth-Bledisloe concept will be shelved after next month's match.

"Regardless of the challenges we have with Hong Kong this year, the days of a fourth Bledisloe (Test) are over," he said.

"We've got a World Cup next year so we've got an abbreviated Tri Nations, it's only home and away against the Blacks and the Boks. And then in 2012 we go into Four Nations with Argentina and we'll most probably still play three Bledisloes but it'll be in a series and we won't be playing four."

"Ideally, the programming (of the three annual Bledisloe Tests) will be on consecutive weeks. I hate to sound like a rugby league person but Bledisloe I, Bledisloe II and Beldisloe III would be on consecutive weeks."

Meanwhile, O'Neill says there a still 'plenty' of tickets left for Saturday's trans-Tasman encounter at ANZ Stadium, and implored Wallabies' fans to show their support this weekend.

"We're at the high 60s, 66-67 (thousand tickets sold)," O'Neill confirmed.

"I'd like to see us get over 70,000."

"I think we're in with a real shout (of beating the Kiwis) on the weekend."

"That win in Bloemfontein on the weekend had enormous character and a lot of self belief. You get momentum in this game and whilst the All Blacks have won the first two, there's two to play for and it would put a bit of dint in the All Blacks' confidence if we could back up."

 
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