'Bloody angry': Dave Rennie and Rugby Australia blindsided as NZ back out of Bledisloe Cup in Perth

New Zealand Rugby chief executive Mark Robinson said on Friday the All Blacks would not travel to Perth this weekend ahead of the fixture scheduled for August 28 in front of a near full-house at the 60,000-seat Perth Stadium.

Rugby Australia boss Andy Marinos said he had a conversation with Robinson moments before the revelation emerged in the media - and at that stage there was "no mention" of plans to back out of the Perth Test and a women's series.

Rennie says New Zealand's decision to back out of the third Test "tells you more about them than us".

"It's disappointing. Our boys all found out through social media. New Zealand Rugby didn't even have the respect to consult RA about their decision, so that's hugely disappointing," Rennie said from Perth on Friday, where the Wallabies are already in camp.

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"We made a commitment to play a Test in Auckland on August 7. We had players who had been out of home for six weeks who were already out of NSW, we honoured that commitment.

"They asked us to play an extra game because we couldn't go back to Wellington on the 28th and we honoured that as well. They made a commitment to come here on the 21st, which they pushed back to the 28th, now they're not coming.

"It's hugely disappointing. Really disappointing for our players too because we're in limbo now too. What we know is over the next day or so, we'll get clarity on what the Rugby Championship looks like and where that's going to be held. Whether that's in Brisbane, whether that's in South Africa or whether that's in Europe, the games are to take place on those dates.

"New Zealand's attitude to not honouring their commitments is really disappointing ... Their decision is making the whole process untenable."

Officials are scrambling to save the Rugby Championship with COVID-19 outbreaks on either side of the Tasman sending New Zealand and major Australian cities into lockdown.

SANZAAR officials have set their sights on moving the entire tournament to Europe emerging as back-up options with Canberra to miss out on hosting the Wallabies and Argentina on October 2.

Initial plans to host it in Queensland fell through, while matches in South Africa would have been played in empty stadiums. Paris, London, Dublin and Cardiff are the destinations in Europe.

Four consecutive double headers in Europe would be played in front of crowds in a boost for the bottom line of the competing nations, but matches may be played in unfavourable time slots.

"It's incredibly disappointing to be informed of this decision via the media, despite having a conversation with the CEO moments before and there no mention that this was the intention," Marinos said.

"Despite this outcome, I am confident we will find a solution for the whole Rugby Championship in what continues to be a very challenging environment in which to work.

"We have been engaging in positive discussions with both teams as well as Government partners and were confident we were close to finding a solution.

"I would also like to thank the Wallaby team and management for their continued sacrifice, compromise and willingness to ensure Test matches get played. The team has been in camp since the end of June and jumped on a plane at the end of July to go to New Zealand with no certainty as to what the Test schedule will look like, or when they would be home.

"The news of the cancellation of the O'Reilly Cup Tests is equally as disappointing for our Wallaroos, who were ready to play their first Test of the year.

"We will continue to leave no stone unturned in finding an option for our Wallaroos as well as the Perth Test."

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