England Could Be Set To Take On The All Blacks

The Rugby Football Union are in discussions with New Zealand Rugby about staging a Test match between England and the All Blacks at Twickenham in November.

The autumn Test schedule has already been agreed for this year, with England due to play against Australia, Argentina and Samoa during the international window.

However it is understood that the RFU have asked the NZRU if they would consider playing England outside of the international window – on Nov 4, a date that New Zealand were due to play the Barbarians at Twickenham.

Negotiations are still taking place around the Barbarians game, which has yet to be approved or confirmed, and it appears that Ian Ritchie, the RFU chief executive, has suggested that England instead fulfil that fixture after a meeting with the NZRU earlier this month.

Discussions are understood to be ongoing, with the sticking point likely to be about money. The NZRU will want to share half the gate receipts from Twickenham – around £3million if they are to agree to the fixture, a figure that is likely to be too high for the RFU to accept.

[Telegraph}