Moana Pasifika DHL Pacific Super Rugby 2022 postponed games Rescheduled

 

New Zealand Rugby has confirmed new dates and venues for DHL Pacific Super Rugby games of Moana Pasifika matches which were postponed previously.

Moana Pasifika will play two games in the middle of the week, with the Blues in the seventh round at Mt Smart Stadium on Tuesday 29 March and Gallagher Chiefs in the ninth round at FMG Waikato Stadium on Tuesday 12 April.

The confirmation of the postponed games comes after the COVID outbreak forced Moana Pasifika to postpone two opening games of DHL Super Rugby Pacific's 2022 season.

NZR's general manager of professional rugby and performance Chris Lendrum said the new figures were good news at a time when COVID was disrupting many New Zealand teams.

"We've always intended to adjust the fixture schedule, and it's a good result for the integrity of the game. Everyone wants to see how each team plays against each other, which also means Moana Pasifika, the Gallagher Chiefs, and their fans have home games to look forward to - hopefully with the fans.

"We recognize the short-term turnaround is not ideal, but we believe we have achieved the best possible results in terms of equity and player welfare. The rationale is that the Blues or Gallagher Chiefs have been playing the Pacific Islanders for a few weeks. It means two teams play two times a week with the same rest period between games."

Lendrum also noted that Moana Pasifika will have a bye in the 8th round, between two short rounds.

"This weekend, the Pacific Islanders (Moana Pasifika) were unlucky, their third game against the Hurricanes was postponed, but that was COVID. I can only clap how the club has handled adversity, I think when they first came last week the first time he stepped on the field, and he showed that character."

The postponed game also affects the Highlanders' round 9 home game scheduled for Saturday, April 16 at Forsyth Barr Stadium in Dunedin. The match will swap places with Moana Pasifika's match against the Gallagher Chiefs being postponed a day to Saturday, April 16.

The DHL Super Rugby Pacific revised schedule for rounds 7 and 9 is as follows:

Date	Matches	Time	Location
Round 7
Tuesday 29 March	Moana Pasifika VS Blues Live Stream	19:05	Mt Smart Stadium, Auckland
Friday 1 April	Crusaders VS Highlanders Live Stream	19:05	Orangetheory Stadium, Christchurch
Saturday 2 April	Blues VS  Moana Pasifika Live Stream	19:05	Eden Park, Auckland
Round 9
Tuesday 12 April	Chiefs  VS  Moana Pasifika Live Stream	19:05	FMG Stadium Waikato, Hamilton
Friday 15 April	Highlanders VS Hurricanes Live Stream	19:05	Forsyth Barr Stadium, Dunedin
Saturday 16 April	Moana Pasifika VS Chiefs Live Stream	19:05	Mt Smart Stadium, Auckland