Because of Covid-19 breakouts at three clubs, all three Super Rugby Pacific matches scheduled for this weekend in New Zealand have been postponed, according to competition organizers.
Instead, Super Rugby Pacific announced that Moana Pasifika and the Chiefs will meet in a match that was initially set for last month but had to be postponed due to diseases in the Moana camp.
Since its start in mid-February, the Super Rugby season has been thrown into chaos by a surge of Omicron-variant cases in New Zealand.
Six matches have been postponed and five are yet to be rescheduled, raising the prospect of a fixture pile-up later in the season.
New Zealand Rugby head of tournaments Cameron Good said the wellbeing of players from the Hurricanes, Crusaders and Blues had to come first.
“We are looking at the schedule and believe there are opportunities to play the postponed matches without major disruption to the draw and will announce details in due course,” he said.
The Super Rugby draw was revamped before the season began to delay travel between Australia and New Zealand for as long as possible to minimise virus-related disruption.
This year’s competition has five teams apiece from Australia and New Zealand, along with Auckland-based Moana and fellow newcomers Fijian Drua, based in rural New South Wales.
By Garrin Lambley © Agence France-Presse
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