Live sport has returned to New Zealand on Tuesday, with greyhound racing the first professional code to break the coronavirus lockdown shackles.
Race meets at Whanganui and Addington (Christchurch) will be unattended by punters and run under strict COVID-19 protocols, but at least offer televised viewing and online betting for those starved of competition.
After several weeks of demoralising sporting shutdowns, there is finally light at the end of the tunnel, with other events scheduled to return over the next month, albeit in abridged form.
Here's how you can get your sporting fix in coming days:
Tuesday, May 5
NZ Greyhounds at Whanganui, Addington
Originally scheduled for next week, the dogs will return a week early, with 12 races at each venue.
Whanganui will back up with 12 more races on Wednesday.
Harness racing returns on May 29, with thoroughbreds due on July 3.
WWE Raw
'Sports entertainment' has flown under the radar during lockdown, with two-day Wrestlemania 36 staged last month, and twice-weekly shows on Mondays and Fridays (US time).
All fights have taken place at an empty WWE Performance Centre in Orlando, with no audience for combatants to play up to.
This week, Drew McIntyre takes on Murphy in the feature bout, before returning for a rematch against Seth Rollins in a week's time.
Wednesday, May 6
Supercars Eseries - Round Five
Esport has been the big winner from the coronavirus pandemic and two-time Supercars champion Scott McLaughlin has show himself almost as adept in the virtual realm as he is in the real world.
He leads this series, with three wins from 14 outings, and faces a challenge from Formula One wildcard Lando Norris on the iconic Spa-Francorchamps course in Germany.
Sunday, May 10 (NZ time)
UFC 249 - Ferguson v Gaethje, Cejudo v Cruz
The on-again-off-again lightweight title fight between champion Khabib Nurmagomedov and challenger Tony Ferguson was originally scheduled for April 18 in New York, but coronavirus travel restrictions ruled the Russian out.
American Justin Gaethje replaced Nurmagomedov for the fight, which moved to California, but was then cancelled.
The card has made its way to Florida, where sport has been deemed an 'essential service'.
Two UFC Fight Nights will also take place in Jacksonville next week (May 14 & 17), with 'Fight Island' due to debut next month.
Join us on Sunday for live updates of UFC 249 - Ferguson v Gaethje
Monday, May 18 (NZ time)
PGA Tour - Dustin Johnson/Rory McIlroy v Ricky Fowler/Matt Wolff
Last seen, the world's top golfers had just completed the opening round of the Players Championship - the unofficial fifth Major - at TPC Sawgrass, when COVID-19 forced the suspension of the season.
With the US Open and Masters postponed, and British Open cancelled, the next official tournament isn't until mid-September, but this charity skins game will whet fans' appetite in the meantime.
While Johnson, McIlroy and Fowler are well known, Wolff is a relative newcomer to pro ranks. Last year, he became only the third player to win a US college title and PGA Tour title in the same year - Tiger Woods achieved the feat in 1996.
He also uses an unconventional swing that sees him kick his left leg like a baseball batter.
Thursday, May 28
NRL 2020
Now that the Warriors have left New Zealand and other teams have assembled for another 'pre-season' build-up, the Aussie rugby league resumption finally feels imminent.
But there are still three weeks for something to go wrong, and every time a player or coach gets a sniffle will inevitably become a dramatic headline. Just one positive coronavirus test will likely set the competition back again.
We still don't have a revised draw, but once that's released, it may be time to start dusting off our NRL Fantasy line-ups.
Join us for live updates of the Warriors' NRL 2020 campaign
Mid-June
Super Rugby
While no details have been confirmed, this timing has been projected for local derbies to resume, if the Government drops to Alert Level 2 next week, as planned.
