'Hopeful': Brumbies keen to sign jersey sponsor before start of Super Rugby season

The ongoing COVID-19 threat is causing headaches for Australian and New Zealand officials less than three weeks before the start of the new Super Rugby Pacific tournament.

New Zealand teams will relocate to a Queenstown hub next week to ensure the start of their season goes smoothly, while the Western Force are facing the prospect of being unable to return to Perth because of border restrictions.

The Brumbies have felt the pinch in a different way, yet to finalise a front-of-jersey sponsorship arrangement as businesses continue to feel the impact of the pandemic.

"There are plenty of discussions going on and we're very hopeful to have somebody in place at the start of the season," said Brumbies chief executive Phil Thomson.

The competition will be split into Australian and New Zealand divisions for at least the first nine rounds before a planned Super round involving all 12 teams in Melbourne at the end of April.

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If New Zealand's strict COVID-19 border arrangements remain beyond April, it will force tournament organisers to consider relocating the entire competition to one side of the Tasman.

The Force's exile has given the Brumbies an opportunity to host a Sunday afternoon match in round one rather than travelling to Perth, while New Zealand sides will be in separate bubbles in Queenstown for at least the first three rounds.

It's hoped the teams can return from the South Island to their home bases in March.

NZR general manager Chris Lendrum said the move would minimise the risk of COVID-19 forcing entire teams into quarantine.

"Under current COVID-19 regulations it would only take one positive case entering a squad environment to shut down an entire squad for 10 days," Lendrum said.

"The knock-on effect for the rest of the competition would be the postponement or cancellation of matches.

"By moving the teams to a secure hub, we believe we have a good chance of preventing a COVID-19 infection, or close contact event, sidelining one of our teams for a prolonged period."

The Brumbies will have a final pre-season hit-out on Friday, coach Dan McKellar set to recall his Wallabies players for an intra-squad match.

It will be the last chance to impress before the clash against the Force, which will be the first of three home games in a row to start the year.

"It's good to build momentum with home matches. It's nice to start the season off like that, but it does potentially put a bit of pressure on us commercially to get people along to different areas of the ground," Thomson said.

"We'll use it as a positive. I'm sure there will be other changes as the season progresses that we will all have to make to make sure the season and all the matches are completed."

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