The Hong Kong Rugby Football Union was forced yesterday to offer further reassurance that a Bledisloe Cup match would go ahead in the city as scheduled on October 30 following remarks by the New Zealand rugby chief that switching the match to England remained a possibility.
New Zealand Rugby Union chairman Jock Hobbs, told a New Zealand radio station that concerns over sluggish ticket sales and poor returns might still see the fourth game between the All Blacks and the Wallabies this season moved to Twickenham.
'It is a possibility. Contact's already been made in that respect,' Hobbs told Radio Sport. 'We need to be careful though. People have already made some commitment to the game in Hong Kong so it's not straightforward given the time we have until that match.'
However, HKRFU chairman Trevor Gregory said yesterday: 'The Bledisloe match for Hong Kong remains on as scheduled for October 30. The HKRFU will continue to work with the Australian and New Zealand rugby unions to ensure the event is a success.
'We look forward to our discussions with both unions in the coming days and we remain committed to hosting international rugby matches in Hong Kong.'
It is the second time this week that the HKRFU has had to give the assurance following media reports in New Zealand that the match might not be played in Hong Kong after all.