New Zealand resumes Super Rugby without fans on June 13

A domestic tournament involving New Zealand's five Super Rugby teams will begin on June 13 after New Zealand government Monday loosened restrictions on sporting competitions imposed because of coronavirus pandemic. tournament is called Super Rugby Aotearoa and involves Auckland-based Blues, Hamilton-based Chiefs, Wellington-based Hurricanes, Christchurch-based Crusaders and Dunedin-based Highlanders. Players will be given four weeks to prepare. Teams will play each or home and away over 10 weeks, with two matches per weekend in empty stadiums. While New Zealand moved Monday to Alert Level 2, mostly ending a five-week national lockdown, restrictions remain on size of public garings. Fans will t be able to return to stadiums until those guidelines are furr relaxed.

Super Rugby to resume without fans

Highlanders will play Chiefs in Dunedin on June 13 and Blues will play Hurricanes in Auckland on June 14 in first round of matches. thought of five world-class Kiwi teams battling it out in 20 matches over 10 weeks should put a smile back on faces of many people, New Zealand Rugby chief executive Mark Robinson said.  I kw our players are excited and I'm sure rugby fans will be as well.

New Zealand Rugby chief medical officer Karen Rasmussen said strict safety protocols, worked out in consultation with government, will be applied. Players and team officials will face daily symptom and temperature checks and re will be stringent hygiene and cleaning requirements. Contact tracing systems will be put in place and anyone showing symptoms of Covid-19 will be required to self-isolate and be tested. A major factor will be ensuring we control who enters team bubbles and that we have necessary measures in place to mitigate against any risk to health of all team members, as well as health of ir families and wider community, said Rasmussen. Team members will be asked to minimize ir contacts outside of team environment and ir family bubbles.

Im credits: AP