The Highlanders have confirmed their Round Three match with the Melbourne Rebels has been moved from Queenstown to Sydney.
The decision comes as Melbourne enters a seven-day lockdown after a COVID-19 outbreak across the state.
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Whilst the two clubs were hopeful the game could remain in Queenstown, the worsening outbreak in Victoria and the New Zealand Government’s extension of a travel pause left them stranded in Australia.
It will now be played in Sydney at Leichhardt Oval on Sunday 30 May, set to kick off at 3:00 pm (AEST), where the Rebels have been based since Wednesday.
The Highlanders will fly to Sydney via Auckland on Saturday 29 May.
"Our players and coaches were really looking forward to heading to Queenstown for what would have been a fantastic day and we share the disappointment of our fans that we won’t be able to make it this season," Highlanders CEO Roger Clark said in a statement.
“We certainly feel for everyone involved in the game, we received such great support from Mayor Jim Boult, Destination Queenstown, NZSki and the people of Queenstown in the preparation for this event, as an organisation we are extremely disappointed that we could not deliver the match as scheduled.
“Fortunately, the Rebels were able to move out of Melbourne and relocate to Sydney on Wednesday and we’re pleased to be able to play the match and chase the competition points."
SANZAAR, Rugby Australia and New Zealand Rugby will continue to work with their respective Governments and health authorities ahead of fixtures for the remainder of the competition, with NZR General Manager of Professional Rugby and High Performance Chris Lendrum believing the move is the best thing to ensure the safety of players and fans.
“We are pleased to be able to keep the competition going, but are working closely with Sanzaar, Rugby Australia and the Rebels to ensure all measures are in place to keep the Highlanders players, coaches, and management safe," he added.
They confirmed the Rebels' players and staff will be regularly tested before Sunday's game, with hotspots continuing to be updated by the Victorian Government as further cases emerge.
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