Australia anticipates new tourney
RUGBY Australia remains “optimistic” that the Super Rugby trans-Tasman sprint competition will go ahead as planned despite eight newly acquired COVID cases in Queensland.
The five-week, 10-team trans-Tasman comp is scheduled to get underway on May 14 – a week after their respective Super Rugby domestic competitions end.
But until New Zealand PM Jacinda Ardern’s April 6 announcement on whether the trans-Tasman bubble will open, all RA and the New Zealand Rugby can do is plan for various scenarios if it doesn’t come to fruition.
“There’s nothing us or New Zealand Rugby can do to influence the decision of the New Zealand Government,” RA general manager of professional rugby services Ben Whitaker told foxsports. com.au.
At a minimum, another five weeks of Super Rugby will continue but that is considered the “worst case scenario”.
“We’ve always had to carry an alternative plan, as have New Zealand, but we haven’t moved away from the fact that our priority has always been to play trans-Tasman and there’s still a real chance for that to be delivered,” Whitaker said.
“In any of these COVID situations that have arisen either here or over in New Zealand, hopefully it’s been shown how well these things are managed more than the fact that the virus still exists in our communities and that’s why we still remain very optimistic that we can find a way for trans-Tasman. “It won’t be easy, but that’s how we’re moving forward.”
What is more apparent though is the ‘Super Round’ — planned for third round on May 28-29— where all 10 franchises would play at the one venue won’t go ahead.
But that looks likely to be canned given the risks of COVID popping up and bringing the entire tournament to a ground.
“We certainly have to have a look at that and work out what sorts of risks are associated with the one centre as opposed to multiple centres for playing games,” Whitaker said.
“We’ve got adaptations of that round three that enable us to be able to adapt if we need to.”