Grant Robertson says commercial considerations, not just isolation training rules, are behind Sanzaar's decision to play the four-nations rugby tournament in Australia, rather than New Zealand.Â
It's been reported we lost the tournament because the government insisted on players training in bubbles no more than 25.
The two Bledisloe cup games will be held here in October.
Sport Minister Grant Robertson defended the decisions surrounding quarantine by the Government and health officials.
"I think what [Ardern]'s referring to there is the question around the border commercial arrangements.
"The reason that we had the rules that we had around quarantine is because that's the advice we got from the Ministry of Health. We worked with them and New Zealand Rugby on what we believed was a protocol and a training arrangement that would support both the health and safety of the players… and giving them a training environment which they could work in.
"We came up with a workable proposition, it didn't get across the line and that is disappointing.
"No one would be more keen than me to see the Rugby Championship played in New Zealand. But we have to do that in a way that protects both the safety of the players in the teams, and the safety and health of New Zealanders."
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