New Zealand sports teams are still digesting the latest rules around the re-opening of the country and what it might mean for their respective competitions.
While border restrictions are being eased early next year, allowing fully vaccinated New Zealanders who test negative for Covid-19 before departure from Australia to travel, they still have to do a one-week self isolation when they arrive from Australia.
The Blues celebrate their Super Rugby success Photo: Photosport Ltd 2021
From mid-February, fully vaccinated New Zealanders can arrive from other other countries but still have to undergo seven days self-isolation.
Super Rugby Pacific is due to kick off on February 18th, with Moana Pasifika playing the Brumbies in Auckland.
Under the news rules, though, non-New Zealanders would still have to go through two weeks of MIQ, meaning the Brumbies would need an exemption to cross the Tasman and play.
Only from the end of April fully vaccinated foreign travellers can come to New Zealand, but the self isolation period of one week will still apply.
In a statement New Zealand Rugby's Chris Lendrum said they had been waiting for direction around what the plan is for the re-opening of New Zealand's borders.
"Today's news has the potential to specifically affect the Super Rugby Pacific competition.
"We now need to see more detail from Government and continue working on our existing contingency planning with key partners including Rugby Australia, Sanzaar and our teams."
The change in rules will also create questions for the Warriors NRL side, the men's and women's Phoneix A-League football teams and the Breakers basketballers, who all compete in Australian-based competitions.
While the Warriors aren't scheduled to play at home until mid-June, both the Phoenix and Breakers had planned on returns in the early part of the year, meaning they would now have to find solutions or change plans.
The border changes, though, will be welcomed by many of New Zealand's leading individual athletes.
A number of top individual sportspeople rely on overseas travel but have been stuck offshore or unable to leave New Zealand because they haven't been eligible for the same MIQ exemptions granted to several sports teams.
However the new system means an end very soon to those issues for the likes of golfer Ryan Fox, triathlete Hayden Wilde, surfers Paige Hareb and Billy Stairmand and the country's leading mixed martial artists, including world champion Israel Adesanya.
-RNZ
