Red-carded by voters – but Grant Robertson will be in Paris for the cup final while Scott Robertson is sidelined in NZ
When we learned that Robertson will be in Paris for the Rugby World Cup final at the weekend, the Point of Order team wondered: which one?
The answer is Robertson, the about-to-be-replaced Labour Minister of Sport and Recreation, not Robertson, the next head coach of the All Blacks.
At the time of his appointment as All Blacks coach in March, the Robertson who won’t be in Paris could boast a remarkable record of 87 wins, four draws and 14 losses as Crusaders head coach, and had a win ratio of 84 per cent as the Super Rugby side’s head coach and an overall record of 88 per cent across all his head coaching roles.
While the next head coach is back in New Zealand watching the match on telly (according to our reading of the media reports), Sport and Recreation Minister Grant Robertson will be in Paris to represent the Government.
But if the Government was not represented by the Minister of Sport and Recreation, what harm would be done – and how much public money would be saved (a matter that should be of interest to Grant Robertson when he is serving out his final days as Minister of Finance)?
On the other hand, Point of Order three weeks ago noted that Scott Robertson was back in New Zealand after reports emerged that he was not allowed to attend the country’s World Cup games.
Robertson is set to take over from Ian Foster at the end of the tournament
According to Planet Rugby, he had been in France and caught some pool matches, including England v Argentina.
However, a claim from former teammate Justin Marshall suggested that Robertson was asked not to attend any New Zealand fixtures during the Rugby World Cup.
According to the All Blacks scrum-half great, who made the claim on SuperSport, Robertson has been told that he would be a “distraction” at New Zealand matches.
A message from Robertson’s wife Jane to Newstalk ZB host James Daniels revealed they were now back home after a “great holiday in France catching up with friends”.
Marshall – who isn’t working on New Zealand TV during this World Cup, but has taken up a job with South Africa’s SuperSport – told ex-Springbok Schalk Burger.
“Can I tell you something really interesting.
“Scott Robertson has been here in France. You would have seen him. He’s been floating around. He’s not allowed to be at All Blacks games. They feel he’s too big a distraction to the current players.
“All of a sudden they might want to chat to him or might want to impress him, so Ian Foster said to him… he’s not being allowed at All Blacks games.”
There might have been subsequent developments, but the last we heard of his whereabouts, the All Blacks’ incoming coach had been spotted in Marlborough cheering on his son’s team to victory two weeks ago.
Current Crusaders coach Scott Robertson was seen twice over the weekend about Blenheim, once at Bayleys Friday Night Feast, then again at Lansdowne Park on Saturday cheering on the Junior Crusaders XV.
At the time of the Planet Rugby report, the New Zealand Herald attempted to contact New Zealand Rugby (NZR),
“… who declined to comment on the rumour, but they understand no directive was given by NZR.
“It could all be a storm in a teacup, however, with Robertson having informed Newstalk ZB in April that he would watch the 2023 World Cup matches “from a distance”.
“If Robertson did opt not to attend All Blacks games off his own back that is understandable, especially with television cameras likely to focus on him in the stadium.”
News of the other Robertson’s travel plans was posted on the Beehive website:
While the next head coach is back in New Zealand watching the match on telly (according to our reading of the media reports), Sport and Recreation Minister Grant Robertson will be in Paris to represent the Government.
But if the Government was not represented by the Minister of Sport and Recreation, what harm would be done – and how much public money would be saved (a matter that should be of interest to Grant Robertson when he is serving out his final days as Minister of Finance)?
On the other hand, Point of Order three weeks ago noted that Scott Robertson was back in New Zealand after reports emerged that he was not allowed to attend the country’s World Cup games.
Robertson is set to take over from Ian Foster at the end of the tournament
According to Planet Rugby, he had been in France and caught some pool matches, including England v Argentina.
However, a claim from former teammate Justin Marshall suggested that Robertson was asked not to attend any New Zealand fixtures during the Rugby World Cup.
According to the All Blacks scrum-half great, who made the claim on SuperSport, Robertson has been told that he would be a “distraction” at New Zealand matches.
A message from Robertson’s wife Jane to Newstalk ZB host James Daniels revealed they were now back home after a “great holiday in France catching up with friends”.
Marshall – who isn’t working on New Zealand TV during this World Cup, but has taken up a job with South Africa’s SuperSport – told ex-Springbok Schalk Burger.
“Can I tell you something really interesting.
“Scott Robertson has been here in France. You would have seen him. He’s been floating around. He’s not allowed to be at All Blacks games. They feel he’s too big a distraction to the current players.
“All of a sudden they might want to chat to him or might want to impress him, so Ian Foster said to him… he’s not being allowed at All Blacks games.”
There might have been subsequent developments, but the last we heard of his whereabouts, the All Blacks’ incoming coach had been spotted in Marlborough cheering on his son’s team to victory two weeks ago.
Current Crusaders coach Scott Robertson was seen twice over the weekend about Blenheim, once at Bayleys Friday Night Feast, then again at Lansdowne Park on Saturday cheering on the Junior Crusaders XV.
At the time of the Planet Rugby report, the New Zealand Herald attempted to contact New Zealand Rugby (NZR),
“… who declined to comment on the rumour, but they understand no directive was given by NZR.
“It could all be a storm in a teacup, however, with Robertson having informed Newstalk ZB in April that he would watch the 2023 World Cup matches “from a distance”.
“If Robertson did opt not to attend All Blacks games off his own back that is understandable, especially with television cameras likely to focus on him in the stadium.”
News of the other Robertson’s travel plans was posted on the Beehive website:
Latest from the Beehive
25 OCTOBER 2023
The Sport and Recreation Minister Grant Robertson will represent the Government at the Rugby World Cup final in Paris this weekend.
But according to Newshub, not everyone is sold on Robertson’s trip.
AM discussed Robertson’s trip on the show on Thursday morning with AM host Ryan Bridge speculating it would cost tens of thousands of dollars.
“Is it worth him going? He’s an outgoing minister, we’re having a change of government, what is the point? Bridge questioned.
Fellow AM co-host Melissa Chan-Green also questioned what New Zealand would get out of the trip.
Newsreader Alice Wilkins said someone needs to be there to represent New Zealand but Bridge was quick to rejoin: “do they?”
“What about all the fans? What about the All Blacks representing us?” Bridge said.
Bridge suggested sending a deserving member of the public instead.
“I think what you should do is find somebody who is very deserving in the New Zealand public, who deserves to go more than an outgoing minister and give the ticket to them,” he said.
“Give them the flights, let the taxpayer pay for them to go. I think that would be a nicer idea.”
The conversation sparked an influx of emails to the AM team’s inbox,
One person noted that New Zealand has a consulate general in Europe and an ambassador in Paris, so should have sent one of them instead.
“This is an outrageous waste of taxpayers money,” another person emailed in saying.
“There is little value in sending an outgoing finance minister to an international event,” another person said.
Chan-Green added Roberston knows the “state of the books, he knows that we surely can’t be spending this money”.
But added “in fairness” to Robertson, the trip has been signed off by Hipkins and Luxon.
Indeed, the Beehive press statement affirms that the Minister’s trip has been approved by the Prime Minister Chris Hipkins and endorsed by the National Party leader Christopher Luxon.
“I am delighted to be able to attend the Rugby World Cup final on behalf of the New Zealand Government.
“The team is in top form to take on the Springboks, with both sides vying to win the cup for a fourth time,” Grant Robertson said.
Grant Robertson will depart today for Paris, returning next week.
Point of Order is a blog focused on politics and the economy run by veteran newspaper reporters Bob Edlin and Ian Templeton
1 comment:
A classic "bauble of office".
Has Robertson no shame ?
How many others have tagged along at the taxpayers expense ?
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