Rugby vs Jacinda

The Herald reports:

Sanzaar and New Zealand Rugby bosses have expressed surprise at Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern’s suggestion that “politics” was behind the decision to award the Rugby Championship hosting rights to Australia.

Sanzaar CEO Andy Marinos and NZR counterpart Mark Robinson were baffled by the comments, insisting instead that the more favourable quarantine regulations across the ditch was the reason for the revamped four-nation tournament moving there.

The Herald reported early on Friday that the tournament, set to start in November and originally destined for New Zealand, would be moved across the Tasman following a crunch meeting between representatives from New Zealand, Australia, South Africa and Argentina.

However, Ardern insisted at a press conference shortly before the announcement that “Sanzaar politics” was to blame for the decision.

What baffles me is why she said this?

She could have just said we were not prepared to relax quarantine regulations to save the tournament, and most people would probably be fine with that.

But instead she is pretending it isn’t due to that.