Cross-code fixture 'daft': ARU's O'Neill
ARU boss John O'Neill has ridiculed a proposal to have Australia take on New Zealand in a so-called "Forty40 Footy" clash of rugby union and rugby league as "daft".
The audacious cross-code plan for the Wallabies to tackle the All Blacks for one half and the Kangaroos to play the world champion New Zealand rugby league team for the other 40 minutes is the brainchild of Harvey Lister, head of AEG Ogden.
The venue management guru is reportedly pushing for the two codes to come together for the "Forty40 blockbuster" at Brisbane's Suncorp Stadium next year.
O'Neill, though, on Wednesday insisted such a fixture would never happen on his watch.
The Bledisloe Cup series between the Wallabies and the All Blacks is the jewel in the ARU's crown and O'Neill said rugby would never share the occasion with its rival code.
"We kicked it into touch months ago. We previously kicked into touch the notion of the Wallabies playing the Kangaroos; that's just not on," O'Neill said.
"And the notion of an even crazier idea of the Wallabies versus the All Blacks for 40 minutes and the Kangaroos versus the Kiwi rugby league team for the second 40 is daft.
"Far from showing vision, it shows of a complete lack of understanding of sport."
When suggested to O'Neill that the profits for such a fixture would have to be split four ways, the ARU supremo sarcastically said: "That'd be great".
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