Close but no Covid ... yet.
News broke late on Wednesday night a Blues player in the Super Rugby Pacific bubble in Queenstown had been identified as a possible close contact of a confirmed Covid case.
A member of the wider Moana Pasifika squad was also identified as a close contact. He is not in camp with the team but did train with the squad on Monday before the side left for Queenstown on a chartered flight.
The Blues player has since returned a negative PCR test. He continues to isolate in the team hotel, but all other members of the Blues travelling group have returned negative rapid antigen tests and can resume training.
Moana Pasifika had its players tested yesterday morning, and is waiting on the results.
A positive test would mean the squad would remain in isolation and miss tomorrow’s pre-season game against the Highlanders.
Its round one game against the Blues on February 18 could also not take place as scheduled.
NZR professional rugby manager Chris Lendrum said the organisation was preparing for the worst but hoping it has dodged the virus.
"While it is not confirmed at this stage, there is the distinct possibility that Moana Pasifika may not be able to participate in the final week of pre-season and, obviously, we’ll adjust the scheduling for that weekend to accommodate that if that is the scenario," he said.
Lendrum suggested a "game of three halves" could be cooked up to provide the Highlanders one last hit out before the tournament gets under way.
But that is plan B. Plan A is to keep all fingers and toes crossed and hope for negative test results.
Moana Pasifika chief executive officer Pelenato Sakalia said he really felt for the players should the results not go their way.
"The pre-season game was really important for them this weekend," he said.
"This squad that we’ve got have only assembled since the 5th of January. They haven’t been going for long, so each game, each week, means a lot to them.
"But we’ve all mentally prepared ourselves for the disruptions, for the uncertainties. Covid contingency planning is something we’ve been looking at since last year."
The six New Zealand-based Super Rugby teams elected to move to Queenstown and operate in separate, controlled bubbles to mitigate the risk of a Covid outbreak.
