The Hurricanes' match against Moana Pasifika scheduled to be played in Wellington on Saturday has been postponed due to a large Covid-19 outbreak which has affected the home side.
New Zealand Rugby announced this morning that the Super Rugby Pacific round four game at Sky Stadium would not go ahead due to the outbreak.
There have been reports that up to 20 Hurricanes players have Covid-19, but the number has not been confirmed. NZR said in a statement it was a "large number of players" - so many that the Hurricanes didn't have enough to form a match day 23.
The decision was made on the advice of the competition's medical advisory group - a big blow in particular for Moana Pasifika, who have already had two matches postponed due to Covid-19 in their own camp.
NZR General Manager Professional Rugby and Performance Chris Lendrum said it was disappointing for both teams.
Super Rugby Pacific newcomers say right decision made as they face up to the postponement of their third game in only four weeks. (Source: 1 Sport)
“Every effort was made to play this match but despite looking at replacement player options the number of players affected by Covid was simply too great to overcome and the right decision has been reached," he said.
“We are supporting the Hurricanes as much as we can as they deal with a large number of players being unavailable, while it is obviously disappointing for Moana Pasifika who were itching to play again after finally getting their season under way last week.
“On a brighter note we are very close to confirming the rescheduling of Moana Pasifika’s previous two postponed matches against the Blues and Chiefs and are confident we can also reschedule the Hurricanes match later in the season.”
Hurricanes CEO Avan Lee said the postponement capped off a tough couple of weeks for the franchise.
“We were obviously gutted for our Sky Super Rugby Aupiki Hurricanes Poua squad when they had to pull out of their inaugural match and now our men’s team are dealing with their own disappointment, so I guess it shows how widely Covid is affecting people right now.
“We obviously wanted to play, and I really feel for the staff and players. On the bright side, this is merely a postponement and we’re looking forward to taking on Moana Pasifika later in the season at home here in Wellington, and most importantly, welcoming our members, fans and partners back to our house.
“We are also disappointed for Moana Pasifika who have already had to deal with this situation twice this season. We’d like to thank them for their understanding, and we look forward to meeting them later in the season.”
Moana Pasifika CEO Pelenato Sakalia said: “Dealing with Covid is extremely complicated and it is important that the focus shifts to the health and well-being of the Hurricanes team. Under the circumstances postponing the game is the right decision and Moana Pasifika wishes the Hurricanes team a speedy recovery and look forward to meeting on the field soon.”
After a disrupted pre-season, competition newcomers Moana Pasifika played their first competition match of the season last weekend - a 33-12 defeat to the Crusaders.
The Hurricanes have won both their matches against the Blues and Highlanders.
SHARE ME