Thread: NZ Super Rugby to welcome crowds back immediately - coronavirus restrictions over

New Zealand's Super Rugby competition will kick off its opening round in front of crowds this weekend, generating further hype about the sport's return.

Key points:

• The domestic competition has been set up as a temporary replacement for Super Rugby
• The Vietnamese football competition is the only other league to welcome back crowds so far
• Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has previously said the government would work with stadiums to create a "COVID code"

The NZ government announced its nationwide alert system would relax to "level one" at midnight on Monday, allowing mass gatherings to take place.

With no restrictions on crowd size, there is the possibility of sold-out grandstands when the Highlanders host the Chiefs in Dunedin on Saturday and the Blues face the Hurricanes at Eden Park on Sunday in the first round of Super Rugby Aotearoa matches.

The competition has been set up as a temporary replacement for the international Super Rugby tournament, which is suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic.


NZ Super Rugby to welcome crowds back immediately following ending of domestic coronavirus restrictions - ABC News