The six New Zealand-based teams in Super Rugby Pacific are moving to Queenstown for the first part of the upcoming season to minimise the risk of games being cancelled by a coronavirus outbreak, New Zealand Rugby (NZR) announced on Wednesday.
The relocation will not change the draw, with the season still scheduled to start on Feb. 18, said NZR head of professional rugby Chris Lendrum.
“Under current COVID-19 regulations it would only take one positive case entering a squad environment to shut down an entire squad for 10 days. The knock-on effect for the rest of the competition would be the postponement or cancellation of matches,” Lendrum said in a press release.
“By moving the teams to a secure hub, we believe we have a good chance of preventing a COVID-19 infection, or close contact event, side-lining one of our teams for a prolonged period.
“The plan is currently for the teams to move to Queenstown early next week and remain in Queenstown for the opening three weeks of the competition.”
The new plan is a response to New Zealand’s strict COVID-19 regulations.
Queenstown is in a relatively remote part of the country’s South Island.
Day matches will be played in there, while night games will be a long bus ride away in Invercargill, which has floodlighting.
Lendrum said the move to Queenstown would last only a few weeks.
“We are committed to bringing the teams home in early-March regardless of the COVID-19 landscape,” he said.
Super Rugby Pacific comprises 12 teams – six based in New Zealand (the Blues, Hurricanes, Moana Pasifika, Chiefs, Crusaders and Highlanders) – as well as six in Australia.
(Reporting by Andrew Both in Adelaide; Editing by Robert Birsel)
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