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New Zealand skipper Jesse Bromwich and hooker Brandon Smith slammed World Cup organisers for disrespecting their side by pre-booking them flights home after the semi-final.
The world No.1 Kiwis’ tournament ended with a 16-14 loss in the semi-final to the Kangaroos, but had they won it would have cost tournament officials $10,000 to change their flights.
The Sydney Morning Herald reported Bromwich’s obvious frustration with tournament organisers over the flight fiasco.
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“I don’t really want to talk about that too much,” Bromwich said.
“It’s pretty disrespectful. I don’t really want to talk about that to be honest.”
Australia’s flights were scheduled for after the final at Old Trafford with tournament officials facing $350 a ticket had New Zealand won through to the decider.
Smith revealed New Zealand used the flight scenario as motivation, but ultimately it wasn’t enough to thwart Australia’s comeback win to advance to the final and send the Kiwis home as predicted by tournament organisers.
“I think we did [find it disrespectful], and I think pretty rightly so,” Smith said.
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“But we tried to use that as motivation. In a way it was a good thing – something like that is pretty good fuel for the fire. Unfortunately, we couldn’t get it done.”
New Zealand great Tony Kemp was not surprised about the incident, revealing a history of poor treatment of the Kiwis in World Cups.
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“They put them in terrible hotels, they always have done,” Kemp said on SEN radio Breakfast.
“They give them the worst fields to train on and the English and Australians have treated them like that for years. Was I surprised when I read that? Not at all.”
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