Rugby league: New Zealand Rugby League set ambitious target for Kiwis tests in 2023

The Kiwis lost in the semifinals at the World Cup. Photo / Photosport

If the New Zealand Rugby League have their way, the Kiwis will play at least four tests in 2023, including a home and away series against Australia.

Off the back of the World Cup, international football will go into hibernation for almost 12 months, with the NRL’s decision to scrap the mid-season representative weekend from next year.

That call looks short sighted now – particularly after the way Toa Samoa caught the imagination in recent weeks – but NZRL chief executive Greg Peters hopes a bumper test schedule next October and November can continue the momentum created by the quadrennial tournament.

“In an ideal world we would have five or six [Kiwis] games every year,” Peters told the Weekend Herald. “I realise that is probably a stretch too far, except in a World Cup year, but four to five games would work for us. That is what we are advocating for.”

Much will hinge on the collective bargaining negotiations between the players’ association and the governing body, especially as the NRL recently unveiled their gargantuan 2023 schedule, stretching from February to October.

That puts more pressure on the calendar – and player rest periods - but Peters is confident that the long-promised international window will eventuate.

“We will be advocating pretty strongly that the four to five weeks are protected at the end of the year,” said Peters. “We need to, so the international game advances after the wonderful spectacle that the World Cup was.”

He said transtasman clashes are imperative in 2023, given the World Cup clash was the first meeting between the New Zealand and Australia since 2019. They haven’t met twice in a window since 2016.

Peters also wants to line up games with Samoa and Tonga. Conversations have already started but will firm in the coming weeks. There could be a similar format to the 2019 Oceania Cup, which also saw Papua New Guinea and Fiji in action. Ideally the window would begin two weeks after the NRL grand final (October 1st) and run until early to mid-November.

“We would like it sorted sooner rather than later, as the longer the lead in the better chance of creating something pretty special,” said Peters.

Peters is also working on a 2023 schedule for the Kiwi Ferns, that optimally will look similar to their male counterparts.

“We want the Kiwi Ferns to be involved as much as we can,” said Peters.

Parallel to constructing next year’s schedule, the NZRL will also launch a debrief of the Kiwis’ World Cup campaign, which ended prematurely with the 16-14 semifinal defeat to Australia at Elland Road.

The review will be done in house, though High Performance Sport New Zealand personnel will be involved. It’s not expected to be finished until next year.

“We want to do it properly and have the right conversations with a wide range of people, including Michael [Maguire], to see what he would like to do going forward.”

Maguire’s contract as head coach finished at the conclusion of the World Cup. Peters hadn’t spoke at length with the Australian since then but they will meet for “face to face” discussions in the coming weeks.

“I don’t know where his mind is at, other than his passion and disappointment and feeling like he hadn’t quite finished the job. But knowing Michael he will be passionate and want to continue to drive the Kiwis forward. I’m sure those conversations will be positive and constructive when they are had.”

Peters conceded that the circumstances of the Kiwis’ World Cup exit was still raw, as they blew their best chance at tournament glory since 2008.

“It was a massive missed opportunity and the whole group is disappointed that we didn’t nail that opportunity in that game,” said Peters. “We were up for it but we just fell short when it mattered most. There were lots of positives, but still we needed to go that next step. We went there to win this thing and we didn’t. We have to look at that and take that all into consideration as we look to what is going to happen.”