Australia quarantines in Christchurch before Bledisloe tests

Australia's rugby team will quarantine in the South Island city of Christchurch before playing New Zealand’s All Blacks in two Bledisloe Cup rugby tests next month.

The tests will be played in Wellington on Oct. 11 and Auckland on Oct. 18, though the Auckland test likely will be moved to Dunedin if New Zealand’s largest city remains under stricter coronavirus restrictions than the rest of the country.

Auckland currently is under Level 2 lockdown rules, which would require the test at Eden Park to go ahead without fans, while matches elsewhere in New Zealand can take place in full stadiums.

The Wallabies may arrive in New Zealand as early as Friday and will complete mandatory isolation at a four-star hotel in central Christchurch. Players and support staff will be tested for COVID-19 after the third day of their 14-day quarantine period and, if all team members test negative, the team will be able to train at Christchurch’s Linwood Rugby Club.

The Bledisloe Cup series had been in jeopardy when the Wallabies rejected previous quarantine restrictions which would have prevented them training as a full squad until near the end of their isolation period. The Wallabies agreed to go ahead with the matches when relaxed regulations meant they could train in full from day three.

Earlier, Australia won the right to host the four-nation Rugby Championship ahead of New Zealand because of its more lenient quarantine requirements.

Image credits: AP