Super Rugby Pacific moves matches to Dunedin

Super Rugby Pacific said on Thursday it has scrapped plans to play night matches in Invercargill and had shifted them to Dunedin due to its superior facilities.

The venue change comes a day after it said the six New Zealand-based teams in the competition would move to Queenstown to minimise the risk of a coronavirus outbreak.

The decision to play in Dunedin means players will have to endure a long and winding bus ride of about 200km, three-and-a-half hours each way.

"The move will add some extra travel time for the teams playing in Dunedin, as they will be required to drive back to their Queenstown bubbles after each match," it said.

The relocation will not change the draw, with the season still scheduled to start on February 18,

New Zealand Rugby said on Wednesday the move to Queenstown would last only a few weeks, and that the league planned to bring the teams home in late March, regardless of the country's coronavirus situation.