Super Rugby

The Blues announced the relocation from Auckland to Wellington late on Wednesday, saying the move occurred to minimise risk.

The Hurricanes confirmed the fixture will be hosted behind closed doors at Rugby League Park on Sunday, with a 1pm kick-off. The game is not being broadcast.

Hurricanes chief executive Avan Lee said discussions about relocating the pre-season game started earlier in the week.

The game will be played in three 30-minute blocks, allowing the coaches to test the full depth of their squad.

This is an historic occasion for Moana Pasifika being the first time the inaugural Super Rugby Pacific squad will play on their home ground, Mt Smart Stadium (kick off 7.05pm).

Under the current government restrictions, no spectators are allowed at the match. However, Sky Television have partnered with Moana Pasifika and will have live coverage in New Zealand from 6.30pm. The match will also be free to air on Prime.

Yesterday New Zealand Rugby announced all six New Zealand based sides would be relocating to Queenstown this weekend for the first three rounds of the competition with day games being played in Queenstown and night games at Invercargill's Rugby Park.

However, after further discussions between the teams and NZR, it was agreed to move night games to Dunedin's Forsyth Barr stadium which has a roof.

The move will add some extra travel time for the teams playing in Dunedin, as they will have to drive back to their Queenstown bubbles after each match.

The NZR says the decision to move to Queenstown is to reduce the risk of Covid-19 sidelining any of the teams and provide the best chance of the inaugural Super Rugby Pacific season kicking off as scheduled in just over two weeks' time.

The NZR's Chris Lendrum says it would only take one Covid-19 case in 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.

When approached by Stuff on Friday afternoon, Queenstown Lakes District Council mayor Jim Boult wouldn’t confirm the development, but said: “If it was the case I would be delighted and the teams would be welcome.”

It is unclear at this stage if all the games will be played in Queenstown, or the teams will fly in and out to their home grounds. Under the current Red settings for Covid-19, crowds would be limited no matter where the games are played.

New Zealand Rugby has been approached for comment.

Like a number of sports, Super Rugby is now looking at the likely impact of Omicron Covid-19 now that New Zealand has moved to a red light setting.

Crusaders boss Colin Mansbridge says while there will probably be limited fan access to games, their main concern is that the games can still go ahead.

The Crusaders have moved a pre-season game against the Hurricanes from Blenheim to Christchurch because it will be easier to manage under the current Covid guidelines.

The side confirmed on Monday that Southland head coach Dale MacLeod and former Blues, Chiefs and Sunwolves prop Pauliasi Manu will join Moana Pasifika for its inaugural season.

Together, the pair join head coach Aaron Mauger and assistant coach Filo Tiatia on the Moana Pasifika coaching team.

MacLeod joins the franchise as a defence coach after having served as Southland assistant coach in 2018 and 2019, and then as head coach between 2020 and 2021.

The franchise announced on Friday the Better Blues Company Limited would purchase the 40 percent holding in the Blues which had previously been held by New Zealand Rugby after they bought back the shareholding from the previous private owners three years ago.

The remaining 60 percent has been shared since 2013 between the provincial unions of Auckland, Northland and North Harbour.

The draw has been revised due to new Covid-19 trans-Tasman travel restrictions.

The five New Zealand-based teams, and the six Australian-based teams will play their first eight games in their respective countries.

Moana Pasifika will be based in New Zealand and the Fijian Drua are based in Australia.

Moana Pasifika's game against the Blues takes place at Mt Smart Stadium on Friday February 18; the Drua's game against the Waratahs follows that game on the same evening at a venue to be confirmed.

Non-quarantine travel, which was set to be opened for New Zealanders in Australia on 17 January, would be pushed back until the end of February, Covid-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins said at a media conference on Tuesday.

The length of stay in MIQ facilities would be temporarily increased from a week to 10 days.

The new Super Rugby Pacific competition will feature five teams each from New Zealand and Australia and two sides representing the Pacific Islands -- Moana Pasifika and Fijian Drua.