Crowded house: New Zealand's Super Rugby opens gates to fans
Crowded house: New Zealand's Super Rugby opens gates to fans
WELLINGTON, June 8, 2020 (AFP) - Fans will be allowed to fill stadiums when top-flight rugby resumes in New Zealand this weekend, organisers said Monday, hailing the move as a world first after professional sport s coronavirus shutdown.
New Zealand Rugby made the announcement after Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern eased a range of virus-related restrictions, meaning social distancing requirements no longer apply.
It means packed stands are expected when New Zealand s Super Rugby teams open a domestic series, a temporary replacement for the suspended southern hemisphere competition, on Saturday.
"We re incredibly proud, and grateful, to be the first professional sports competition in the world to be in a position to have our teams play in front of their fans again," NZR chief Mark Robinson said.
"It s going to be a very special and unique competition and it s fitting that New Zealanders now have a chance to be part of it."
While many other sports competitions around the globe have announced plans to restart, the vast majority will be played either with no crowds or numbers severely restricted.
Some competitions have placed cardboard cutouts in seats to make the grounds appear less empty, and broadcasters have piped in canned crowd noises in a bid to create a big-match atmosphere.
Super Rugby Aotearoa, involving New Zealand s five provincial teams, was originally slated to go ahead behind closed doors, starting with Otago Highlanders against Waikato Chiefs on Saturday.
Instead, when it kicks off under the roof at Dunedin s Forsyth Barr Stadium, the raucous support from home fans in "The Zoo" section is sure to generate an electric atmosphere.
