Report: Kiwi Super Rugby teams set to relocate amid Covid threat
Discussions are reportedly underway to relocate New Zealand’s five Super Rugby Pacific teams, as well as Moana Pasifika, to Queenstown in an attempt to stifle the threat posed by the country’s fresh Covid outbreak.
According to various media reports, New Zealand Rugby [NZR], the New Zealand Rugby Players’ Association [NZRPA] and all six teams are in positive talks about the concept of centralising the Kiwi-based franchises in the Central Otago resort town.
Such a move is being planned in the hope of minimising the chance of Covid outbreaks within any of the six squads, which would result in cancelled games as the Omicron variant of the virus begins to spread throughout New Zealand.
Should any player contract the virus, the entire squad and management staff would be deemed close contacts and, under government protocols, would be forced to self-isolate for 10 days.
Multiple negative tests would then need to be returned before teams would be allowed to play again, making matches involving infected squads untenable, with fixtures unable to be rescheduled due to the rigid scheduling of Super Rugby Pacific.
While players may still contract Covid should the six New Zealand sides be based out of Queenstown, the logic behind centralising the teams is to reduce their exposure to close contacts in their households.
Queenstown stands as the preferred location for teams to be based due to the number of playing, training and accomodation facilities available to the franchises.
Reports indicate that teams may be centralised in Queenstown as early as next week ahead of the first match of the season, which, as it stands, is scheduled to kick-off with a clash between the Blues and Moana Pasifika at Mt Smart Stadium on February 18.
Although the move would be costly, it is understood that it is a preferred option ahead of having teams ruled ineligible to play at short notice – as happened with Auckland’s three NPC teams last year – because of the impact it would have on broadcast revenue.
“We’re talking about all six New Zealand-based clubs moving into one location,” NZR’s head of professional rugby Chris Lendrum told the New Zealand Herald.
“If we were to do that we think it would give ourselves a better chance to play those games without interruption. Nothing is foolproof but that is one thing under discussion.
“No one is looking at the options lightly but potentially drawing people into one location removes some of those challenges with compliance and mitigates the risk around close contacts.”
Lendrum added that the move, which would be for a temporary or fixed-term period of possibly up to six weeks, would be a tough ask for players, especially for All Blacks who only left MIQ late last year following a three-month trip abroad.
However, he said that initial signals indicate that players are receptive of the plan as they understand the need to forge ahead with the campaign.
“It’s an imperfect scenario. There’s no doubt we’d be asking a lot of our players but they’ve been great partners during Covid,” Lendrum said.
“They want to play the competition so they understand why this is under discussion and why it’s an option. The indications are they’re supportive.”
Comments on RugbyPass
A lot of fans just joined in for the fun of it! We all admire O'Gara and what he has done for La Rochelle
3 Go to commentsThe RFU will find a way to mess this up as usual. My bet is there will be no promotion into the the Premiership, only relegation into National League One. Hopefully they won’t parachute failed clubs into the league at the expense of clubs who have battled for promotion.
1 Go to commentsWell that’s the contracts for RG and Jordie bought and paid for. Now, what are the chances we can persuade Antoine to hop over with all the extra dosh we’ll have from living at the Aviva & Croke next season…??? 🤑🤑🤑
2 Go to commentsWow, that’s incredible. Great for rugby.
2 Go to commentsYou probably read that parling is going to coach the wallaby lineout but if not before now you have.
14 Go to commentsIf someone like Leo Cullen was in O’Gara’s place I don’t hear Boo-ing. It’s not just that La Rochelle has hurt Leinster and O’Gara is their Irish boss. It’s the needle that he brings and the pantomime activity before the game around pretending that Munster were supporting LaRochelle just because O’Gara is from Cork. That’s dividing Irish provinces just to get an advantage for his French Team. He can F*ck right off with that. BOOOOO! (but not while someone is lying injured)
3 Go to commentsDid the highlanders party too hard before the game? They were the pits.
1 Go to commentsWhat a player! Not long until he’s in the England side, surely?
2 Go to commentsHe seems to have the same aura as Marcus Smith - by which I mean he’s consistently judged as if he’s several years younger than he actually is. Mngomezulu has played 24 times for the Stormers. When Pollard was his age he had played 24 times for South Africa! He has more time to develop, but he has also had time to do some developing already, and he hasn’t demonstrated nearly as much talent in that time as one would expect. If he is a generational talent, then it must be a pretty poor generation.
4 Go to commentsThe greatest Springbok coach of all time is entirely on the money. Rassie and Jacques have given the south african public a great few years, but the success of the springbok selection policy will need to be judged in light of what comes next. The poor condition that the provincial system is currently in doesn’t bode well for the next few years of international rugby, and the insane 2026 schedule that the Boks have lined up could also really harm both provincial and international consistency.
21 Go to commentsJake White is a brilliant coach and a master in the press. This is another masterclass in media relations and PR but its also a very narrow view with arguments that dont always hold water. White wants his team to win, he wants the best players in SA and wants his team competitive. You however have to face up to the reality of a poor exchange rate and big clubs with big budgets. SA Rugby cant compete and unless it can find more money SA players will keep leaving regardless of Springbok eligibility and this happened in 2015 - 2017. Also rugby is not cricket. Cricket has 3 formats and T20 cricket is where the money is at. When it comes to club vs country the IPL is king but that wont happen because the international calendar does not clash with the club calendar in rugby. So the argument about rugby going down the same path as cricket is really a non-starter
21 Go to commentsNZ rugby seem not to have learnt anything from professional rugby. Super rugby was dying and SA left before they died with the competition. SA rugby did a u turn on their approach to international players playing overseas and such players are now selected for Bok teams. As much as each country would love to retain their players playing in local competitions, this is the way the world is evolving my friends. Move with it or stay 20 years behind the times. One more thing. NZ rugby hierarchy think they are the big cheese. Take a more humble approach guys. You do not seem to have your players best interests at heart.
3 Go to commentsBeaches? In Cardiff? Where?
1 Go to commentsHe is right , the Crusaders will be a threat. Scott Barrett, ( particularly), Fergus Burke , Codie Taylor, ( from sabbatical) etc due back soon for the Crusaders. There are others like Zach Gallagher too. People can right the Crusaders off, Top 8 , here we come !!
1 Go to commentsWe will always struggle for money to match the other sides but the least the WRU can do is invest properly in Welsh rugby. Too much has been squandered on vanity projects like the hotel and roof walk amongst others which will never see a massive return. Hanging the 4 pro sides out to dry over the last decade is now coming back to bite the WRU financially as well as on the pitch. You reap what you sow.
1 Go to commentsWhat do you get if you cross a doctor with a fish? A plastic sturgeon
14 Go to commentsWhat happened to feleti Kaitu’u? Hasnt played in a while right?
1 Go to commentsGregor I just can’t agree with you. You are trying to find something that just isn’t there. Jordie Barrett has signed until 2028. By the end of that he would have spent probably 11-12 years on Super Rugby and you say he can’t possibly have one season playing somewhere else. It is absurd. What about this scenario, the NZR play hard ball and he decides to leave and play overseas. How would that affect the competition. There seems to be an agenda by certain journalists to push certain agendas and don’t like it when it’s not to their liking. I fully support the NZR on this. Gregor needs to get a life.
3 Go to commentsHope he stays as believe he can do a great job.
1 Go to commentsMake what step up? Manie has a World Cup winner’s medal around his neck and changed the way the Springboks can play. He doesn’t have anything to prove to anyone. The win record of the Boks with him in the team is tremendous. Sacha can be wonderful and I hope he has a very succesful Bok career, but comparing him to Manie in terms of the next Bok flyhalf is very strange. Manie is the incumbent (not the next) and doing pretty incredibly.
4 Go to comments