Transtasman spat claim rubbished

By WYNNE GRAY

A report suggesting New Zealand is ready to withdraw as co-host of the 2003 World Cup is "fiction" says Rugby Union boss David Rutherford.

The Guardian newspaper in Britain said that New Zealand was feuding with Australia about the draw and commercial opportunities and that the row could cause the tournament to be switched to Europe.

It suggested relations between the two countries were so poor that the International Rugby Board would meet an Australian delegation for talks in Dublin this week.

The latest accusations come after an NZRFU official was accused of leaking the World Cup draw.

Rutherford said: "We are 100 per cent committed to our role in co-hosting the next World Cup and we are probably about two years ahead in planning compared to the last event in 1999."

He said he would likely join NZRFU representative Rob Fisher in Dublin this week - at what is a regular, scheduled IRB discussion about the World Cup - to reiterate New Zealand's stance.

Rutherford endorsed the view of the Australian Rugby Union, who said the planning and partnership were on track.

"No one at this end of the world is suggesting they are not fine," said Rutherford. "I don't think even the Australians are taking any notice of these reports. They have rubbished any suggestions of New Zealand losing our semifinal and that's the way it stands."

The Guardian claimed New Zealand would host two pools and hold two quarterfinals while Australia was going to take both semifinals and the final. That, said the newspaper, dismayed the NZRFU, who felt they could not make a profit.

But both NZRFU and ARU spokesmen said that in their bid for the tournament, the nations had agreed to hold a semifinal each with Australia having the final.

Nothing had changed.