The Guardian : Jun 08, 2020, 03:49 PM
Wallington: New Zealand Rugby have announced that when their domestic club competition gets under way on Sunday it will be with completely open stadiums and no limit on crowd numbers, after the country was declared Covid-19-free earlier today and the decision was taken to move to alert level 1 from midnight local time tonight, about four hours from now.
“It is a testament to all New Zealanders that we are in a position to lift restrictions on mass gatherings and it’s a massive boost for Investec Super Rugby Aotearoa,” said the NZR chief executive, Mark Robinson. “We’re incredibly proud, and grateful, to be the first professional sports competition in the world to be in a position to have our teams play in front of their fans again. It’s going to be a very special and unique competition and it’s fitting that New Zealanders now have a chance to be part of it.”The first game will be in Dunedin on Saturday 13 June, between the Highlanders and the Chiefs. “The world will be watching, and we will be ready to put on a show,” said the Highlanders chief executive, Roger Clark. “Our players, coaches and staff have been working overtime to get Investec Super Rugby Aotearoa ready and to now be able to share the competition with our members and our fans will be a very special occasion.”