New Zealand media strongly criticized the accommodations provided to the All Blacks during the Rugby World Cup, especially before their tournament opener against France. The New Zealand Herald published a scathing article following the tournament, labeling the hotel as subpar.
The article referred to the state of the hotel’s kitchen as “filthy” and described the overall quality as a “dog of a hotel.” It pointed out that some players were even compelled to sleep in the hallways due to the inadequate conditions.
The writer, Gregor Paul, expressed his disappointment, saying, “It turns out to be a dog of a hotel, proclaiming itself four-star accommodation but no one is sure whether it even deserves three.” He also noted that the hotel lacked necessary facilities for team meetings, had malfunctioning air conditioning, and required extensive cleaning of the kitchen by the All Blacks’ chef before it could be used.
Regrettably, the All Blacks went on to lose their opening game of the tournament, marking their first-ever loss in the Rugby World Cup pool stages.
Paul also mentioned that this hotel wasn’t the only one that fell short of expectations for the All Blacks. In their Lyon base, the promised swimming pool turned out to be incomplete, with rubbish floating in rusty rainwater.
The lack of functioning air conditioning raised concerns about players becoming dehydrated, and an untimely alarm going off before the France match disrupted their sleep. As a result, players resorted to moving their mattresses into the hallways to escape the heat.
In contrast, the French team enjoyed a comfortable stay in air-conditioned, soundproofed rooms across town. Following the All Blacks’ experience, no other team stayed at the same hotel, as World Rugby removed it from the Paris rotation due to its substandard conditions.
Leave a Reply