Finally, some current, compelling, up-to-date rugby to marvel at, rather than the endless doses of rugby nostalgia that have been served up to beat the boredom during lockdown.
You have to take your hats off to New Zealand for the way in which they have not only handled the coronavirus crisis, but also the way in which they have gone about getting rugby back on the field. It means Dunedin could claim a world-first next weekend – the first top-class, live sporting event with spectators since Covid-19 shut down global sport.
Everyone is expecting the New Zealand prime minister, Jacinda Ardern, to give the go-ahead for their country to move to ‘Level 1’ this week – no restrictions on gatherings – which will mean fans will be able to buy tickets to the game. It is bound to turn into a match of national and international significance – with Warren Gatland’s Chiefs in the middle of it all!
The Highlanders host the Chiefs in the first game of Super Rugby Aotearoa in Dunedin on June 13. The Blues meet the Hurricanes the following day in Auckland.
WRU boss Martyn Phillips talked last week about keeping a watching brief on what is going on in the rest of the sporting world before formulating a return to play plan for Welsh rugby. Let’s hope everything goes well and we can start planning for our players to safely return sooner rather than later.
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