The North v South rugby clash has been confirmed for Wellington's Sky Stadium on Saturday September 5, but will be played without a crowd
The relocation from Auckland's Eden Park comes after the Government's announcement this week on COVID-19 alert levels, with Auckland remaining at Level 3 until Sunday night, and then joining Wellington and the rest of the country at Level 2 until Sunday, September 6.
Under Level 2 guidelines, the match must be played with no crowd in attendance. Fans who bought tickets to the match will receive a full refund.
"We're delighted that the match can go ahead in Wellington," says NZ Rugby professional rugby & performance general manager Chris Lendrum. "But obviously, it's a shame that it'll have to be played without fans in the stands.
"That said, we're fully supportive and understanding of the Government's health and safety recommendations regarding COVID-19."
Last week, NZR was forced to reschedule the fixture from August 29 to September 5, after an exemption request for Auckland-based players and support staff to assemble in the capital was denied.
The increasingly difficult logistics caused by the COVID-19 alert level changes had many fearing that the fixture would be cancelled altogether.
But Lendrum has insisted that was never an option.
"It's a fixture that demands being played. It's captured the imagination of our rugby public, people and so we were always committed to trying to do this anyway we could," he adds.
Both squads will now assemble in Wellington on Monday to prepare for the match.
Meanwhile, Farah Palmer Cup and Mitre 10 Cup competitions will proceed as scheduled, with the women's fixtures kicking off on Saturday, September 5 and Mitre 10 Cup the following weekend.
