The Highlanders will get to Auckland today after all, taking a charter flight north for their Super 15 clash with the Blues tomorrow night.
The team had been due to fly from Dunedin to Auckland this morning, but Air New Zealand cancelled all its morning flights in and out of Dunedin, Invercargill and Christchurch because of ash from Chile's Puyehue-Cordon Caulle volcano.
The Highlanders are now scheduled to leave at 4.30pm today after Sanzar organised charter flights for teams stranded because of ash in the airspace.
Team manager Leicester Rutledge said the delay was no hassle and the players should not be affected when they run out on to Eden Park tomorrow night.
Other New Zealand teams have found solutions to their travel woes. The Crusaders will fly in a DC3 to Wellington for Saturday's clash with the Hurricanes, while the Chiefs' opponents on Saturday, the Reds, are flying into Auckland via an Emirates flight today.
If the airspace remains closed, the Nelson Giants basketball team will bus to Timaru today then drive to Dunedin tomorrow for their game against the Otago Nuggets at the Edgar Centre tomorrow night.
- Steve Hepburn
