Super Rugby organizers decided on Saturday to suspend the competition indefinitely after the weekend’s games because New Zealand players returning home from matches overseas faced being forced into self-isolation for two weeks due to the coronavirus pandemic.
SANZAAR, the body that runs Super Rugby, said the tournament would be off for the “foreseeable future” with only seven of 18 rounds of the regular season completed.
The decision was prompted by New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern’s announcement that people entering the country from trips overseas, including returning New Zealand citizens, would have to self-isolate for 14 days from midnight Sunday. Only travelers from a handful of Pacific Island nations were exempted.
That decision would make the cross-border Super Rugby competition untenable, with the tournament featuring teams from five nations, including five teams from New Zealand. Teams from Australia, Japan, South Africa and Argentina also play in Super Rugby, which runs from January to June. All five countries have confirmed coronavirus cases.
“The safety and welfare of the public, our players and other stakeholders is paramount and as previously stated we were always going to abide by government and health authority instructions on the issue of COVID-19 containment,” SANZAAR CEO Andy Marinos said.
“We are extremely disappointed for the players, our fans, broadcasters and partners but given the complexity of our competition structure, and the multiple geographies that we cover, we have no other option but to align with such directives. We also believe it is time for all those players currently overseas to return home and to be with their families.”
There were still three games in the round to be played when the suspension announcement came — in South Africa, Argentina and Australia.
The matches in South Africa and Australia went ahead but the match in Buenos Aires between Argentina’s Jaguares and New Zealand’s Highlanders, which was to be played without spectators, was cancelled late Saturday.
The Highlanders will not be able to return to New Zealand before the midnight Sunday deadline, meaning players, coaches and support staff will have to self-isolate for 14 days.
An earlier game on Saturday was moved out of Tokyo because of the virus outbreak.
Apart from the Jaguares-Highlanders, fans were allowed to attend all other matches in the round. But Australia had decided stadiums would be closed to fans from next week. That move was now redundant.
The game moved out of Tokyo featured the defending champion Crusaders, one of the New Zealand teams, against the Tokyo-based Sunwolves. It was relocated to Brisbane, Australia, where the Crusaders were reduced to 13 men in the last 15 minutes but won 49-14.
A scratch Crusaders lineup lacked the cohesion at first to break down the Sunwolves defense. Fullback George Bridge brought a touch of class, providing the last pass in tries to Sevu Reece and Tom Christie that gave the Christchurch-based Crusaders a 14-7 halftime lead.
The Crusaders started the second half with a try but the Sunwolves replied with a fine solo try to flyhalf Garth April to keep the game close at 21-14 after 55 minutes.
Reece’s second and a try to Sione Havili gave the Crusaders a 35-14 lead before they were reduced to 14 men when replacement Hugh Roach was shown a red card for elbowing. They were down to 13 men when Reece received a yellow card but still managed two more tries.
In the most significant on-field action, the Durban-based Sharks held their nerve to beat the Stormers 24-14 and reclaim their place at the top of the overall standings ahead of the Crusaders.
Replacement Paul de Wet’s try after a midfield burst by No. 8 Juarno Augustus lifted the Stormers from 13-7 down to 14-13 up.
Sharks flyhalf Curwin Bosch kicked the home team ahead again — with one penalty landed from well over 50 meters — and winger Makazole Mapimpi sealed it a minute from the end by racing clear and into the left corner.
The Sharks lead the Crusaders by a point. It’s unclear when the tournament will resume and their lead can be challenged.
The decision to stop games is in line with numerous other sports leagues and tournaments across the world which have been suspended or canceled because of the virus outbreak.
Earlier Saturday, winger Rieko Ioane scored two tries as the Auckland-based Blues overran South Africa’s Lions 43-10, posting their first home win of the season.
The match continued a major revival for Ioane, who lost his All Blacks starting spot at last year’s Rugby World Cup in Japan. The Blues last won the Super Rugby title in 2003 but are beginning to shape as title contenders.
At Brisbane, in the second half of the doubleheader that included the Crusaders-Sunwolves game, the Queensland Reds came back from a 17-0 deficit after 20 minutes to beat the Pretoria, South Africa-based Bulls 41-17.
The Reds scored scored three tries in each half to claim just their second win of the season.
Only 7,335 fans turned out for the two matches in Brisbane, with many heeding virus-linked warnings about large gatherings ahead of an Australian government edict banning non-essential gatherings of more than 500 people from Monday.UNB
