Super Rugby is set to make its return in front of a sell-out crowd this weekend in New Zealand as officials introduce rule changes to the sport.
Key points:
- The Super Rugby Aotearoa match between the Blues and Hurricanes has sold out, with more than 42,000 fans expected at Eden Park
- Fans are allowed in New Zealand after mass gatherings were given the go-ahead on Monday
- Domestic Super Rugby competitions in Australia and New Zealand will experiment with rule changes
The Blues announced on Saturday that its match on Sunday against the Hurricanes at Auckland’s Eden Park had sold out.
With 42,000 tickets sold, it will be the biggest Super Rugby crowd in Auckland since the same two sides met in 2005.
Saturday’s match between the Highlanders and the Chiefs at the 22,800-capacity Forsyth Barr stadium in Dunedin is also expected to come close to a sell-out, with 20,000 tickets sold as of Saturday morning ahead of a 7: 05pm local time kick off.
That crowds are free to attend at all is due to the New Zealand Government’s announcement on Monday that the country was coronavirus free, with the nationwide alert system relaxing to “level one” at midnight that day