All Black Jordie Barrett signs autographs during this year's Black Clash. Photo / Photosport
All Black Jordie Barrett signs autographs during this year's Black Clash. Photo / Photosport
For decades, Kiwi sports fans have regaled each other with tales of which New Zealand athletes could have gone all the way in a different sport.
Black Cap hero Brendon McCullum could have played rugby for New Zealand. All Black Israel Dagg was famously clocked bowling at 143kph when he was just 15 before deciding to focus on rugby. We've heard it all.
Thanks to the Hot Spring Spas Black Clash, an annual fixture that pits current and former cricket stars against their rugby-playing counterparts, some of those rumours have been confirmed, while for others the jury is out.
Next year, for the first time, the fixture is heading to Mount Maunganui. The fourth annual Black Clash will be held at the Bay Oval on January 22.
Team Cricket and Team Rugby the Black Clash earlier this year. Photo / Photosport
Last year the event sold out at Hagley Oval in Christchurch and a record-breaking audience of 1,057,000 Kiwis tuned into TVNZ1 to watch Stephen Fleming's Team Cricket take on Sir Graham Henry's star-studded Team Rugby.
Team Cricket won in a nail-biting final over that saw former Black Caps spinner Daniel Vettori take three wickets.
Bay Oval general manager Kelvin Jones said securing the event was "another feather in our cap as a venue".
"It's really cool, it will be at a great time of year, with lots of holiday-makers around," he said.
"It's as much an entertainment event as it is a cricket match. That's what we've always strived to be, more than just a cricket venue."
Jones said he had watched previous editions of the Black Clash and enjoyed seeing the rivalry between the two sporting codes.
"There's always a bit of pride on the line whenever you get a bunch of extremely competitive sportspeople together like this. I'm sure none of them like to be on the wrong end of a result.
"It's always great to see the reaction of my family and fringe, or even non-cricket fans, how much enjoyment they get out of the Black Clash. It sort of brings a whole new audience."
New Zealand sporting icons Richie McCaw and Stephen Fleming catch up after this year's Black Clash. Photo / Photosport
Team Cricket is up 2-1 in the Black Clashes played so far.
Next year, Team Rugby welcomes back former All Blacks captain Kieran Read, after a stint playing rugby in Japan.
As Team Rugby captain in the inaugural 2019 Black Clash, he led them to a surprise win, taking a stunning catch to dismiss former Black Cap Nathan Astle.
"When Ted's (Graham Henry's) number comes up on your phone you want to take the call," Read said.
"And to be honest, I was stoked to be called back to the team after missing the last two years. Team Rugby suffered two narrow losses after our first-up win, so the boys will be pretty motivated to get back in the winner's circle.
"I can't wait, it's a fun few days and I'm looking forward to getting back into the nets and hopefully scoring some runs at the Bay Oval against some of my childhood cricketing heroes. We have a score to settle."
Peter Fulton and Craig McMillan in the middle for Team Cricket. Photo / Photosport
The other Team Rugby player named so far for the match is Crusaders and All Blacks winger Will Jordan, who forced Team Cricket coach Fleming to take notice after scoring an elegant 49 runs from 29 balls at Hagley Oval in January.
"Will Jordan was a bit of a superstar, wasn't he?" Fleming said.
"Team Rugby has some great talent and it was fantastic to see them push us to the last ball again this year. It was coming down to the wire, so to pass the ball to Dan (Vettori) and have him take three wickets off the last over for the win was a delight to see.
"All the boys love playing in the Black Clash, so I have a job ahead of me on my selection sheet."
Team Rugby celebrate a wicket in this year's Black Clash, which heads to Mount Maunganui's Bay Oval next year. Photo / Photosport
The first players announced for Team Cricket are 2015 Cricket World Cup hero Grant Elliott and, making his Black Clash debut, former Black Caps pace bowler Shane Bond.
Bond is considered one of New Zealand's all-time great fast bowlers, so his presence is sure to create some fear in Team Rugby's batsman.
More players will be announced in the coming weeks.
Tauranga City Council venues and events manager Nelita Byrne said the council was thrilled that the Black Clash would be played at the Bay Oval in January.
"One of the core objectives in bringing major events to Tauranga Moana is showcasing our city to a wide audience, The Black Clash has been proved to deliver this with its large broadcast numbers," she said.
"It's events like these that add to the vibrancy and economic growth of the city while showcasing all that the Bay of Plenty has to offer."
The Black Clash is sponsored by Hot Spring Spas, Heartland, Tauranga City Council, Ford, DB Breweries, Radio Hauraki, Trinity Wharf Tauranga, Paladin, Kookaburra, Trinity Hill, Soar Print and Paramount Hire.
