The Melbourne Rebels’ round-two Super Rugby AU match against the Reds will not be played at AAMI Park after the Queensland government’s clampdown on Victoria sports teams.
The Rebels have already temporarily relocated to Canberra in the wake of a new Covid-19 wave in their home state Victoria with, at this stage, no timeline for their return.
In the wake of news that 75 new cases had been detected in Victoria, the Queensland government released health advice on Monday morning with strict rules around isolation for Queensland sports teams.
Under new restrictions, Queensland teams will have to isolate for 14 days if they play against a Melbourne team in Queensland, play in Melbourne and then return to Queensland or play in another state against a team who has been in Melbourne in the preceding 14 days.
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Melbourne’s squad travelled to Canberra on Friday – more than a week earlier than planned – ahead of Saturday night’s clash with the Brumbies with the understanding that other state governments could take similar action to Queensland’s.
Melbourne confirmed in a statement that their round-two match against the Reds would be moved to NSW, although the exact venue is still to be determined.
The Rebels will have been out of Victoria for two weeks when their 10 July fixture comes around, leaving them clear to play the Reds without the Queensland group needing to isolate on their return home.
The Rebels have a round-three bye and are scheduled to play home games against the Waratahs on 24 July, the Brumbies on 7 August and the Force on 4 September.
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Photo: Mark Kolbe/Getty Images
