The Melbourne Rebels have confirmed their Round 2 clash with the Queensland Reds will be played in Sydney at Brookvale Oval on Friday night, following a recent spike in COVID-19 cases in Melbourne.
With the relaxation of COVID restrictions in NSW, Brookvale Oval will be able to seat up to 3500 fans for the match, with the Rebels and Reds encouraging fans based in Sydney to attend the game.
The Rebels left Melbourne for their opening Super Rugby AU clash with the Brumbies over a week before their fixture and are expected to be on the road for much of the tournament.
🚨BREAKING
— Melbourne Rebels (@MelbourneRebels) July 5, 2020
Our RD 2 Match against the Reds is heading to Brookvale on the Northern Beaches of NSW 🦅#EagleRock pic.twitter.com/21qpMDnN6M
Due to the recent uptick in coronavirus cases, Melbourne have enforced lockdowns on several inner city suburbs, while the Queensland government has imposed strict quarantine rules on any travelers from Victoria.
The new rules would see any teams forced into two-weeks quarantine if they were to travel from Victoria to Queensland.
Super Rugby AU kicked-off on Friday night with the Reds defeating the Waratahs 32-26 before the Brumbies proved too good for the Rebels in Canberra, earning a 31-23 victory.