SI

43,000 Fans Pack Stadium for Rugby Game After New Zealand Beats Coronavirus

In Monday’s Hot Clicks: Sports are back to normal in New Zealand, a NASCAR team’s response to Bubba Wallace’s bravery and more.

Dan Gartland

Remember when we could do this? 

People in New Zealand did something this weekend that’s a distant memory for Americans. They filled a stadium nearly to its capacity for a sporting event. 

New Zealand says it has successfully beaten the coronavirus. No one has tested positive for the virus since May 22. Prime Minister Jacinda Ahearn announced last week that the country had successfully halted the spread of the virus but should be prepared for the possibility of new cases in the future. In the meantime, nearly all of the restrictions put in place to slow transmission of the virus have been lifted. That means sports are back, and back to normal. 

New Zealand has five teams that compete in Super Rugby, a league that also has clubs in Australia, South Africa, Argentina and Japan. Though the Super Rugby season can’t go forward as originally intended, the Kiwi clubs will play a 10-week competition called Super Rugby Aotearoa (the Maori word for New Zealand). Play began this weekend with the Blues facing the Hurricanes and the Highlanders facing the Chiefs. 

In Dunedin, on the south island, an estimated 20,000 fans caught the Highlanders-Chiefs game, the world’s first pro sporting event without a cap on fans since the pandemic began. 

In Auckland, the Blues and Hurricanes played before a sellout crowd of 43,000. The stadium, Eden Park, seats 50,000 but the capacity was reduced due to the seating configuration and because of a ticket deal offering one free children’s ticket with the purchase of a $20 general admission ticket that was so popular it had to be canceled. 

Content is unavailable
Content is unavailable

TV execs were initially preparing for the challenge of broadcasting rugby games without crowd noise but that wasn’t necessary. Both games had a roaring crowd reacting to every play. It was all so... normal. 

Seeing sports return to normal, even in the farthest corner of the world, is encouraging. It’s also infuriating. 

New Zealand, an island nation with a population of just 5 million and a leader who appears to be intelligent, has certain advantages for controlling the spread of the disease that the United States doesn’t. But as places like Texas and Florida continue full steam ahead on reopening, even as coronavirus cases continue to increase, it’s clear that not only is the United States nowhere close to eradicating the virus in the way New Zealand has, it has no interest in doing so. When will Americans be able to file into stadiums by the tens of thousands without fear? 

The best of SI

People are fighting to help minor league baseball players be able to file for unemployment. ... Every AFC team’s biggest weakness. ... MLB owners and players keep going back and forth with counterproposals, so how does this end? ... WWE wrestler Mustafa Ali, a former police officer, spoke frankly about the institution of the police.

Around the sports world

After a New Jersey man died in March, a trove of millions in baseball memorabilia was discovered in his house. ... TCU football coach Gary Patterson’s quarantine project was recording a country song. ... Failed NFL quarterback Christian Hackenberg is trying to make it in baseball as a pitcher.

Bryson DeChambeau showed up jacked out of his gourd after quarantine and started crushing it off the tee

This same team ran a “Trump-Pence 2020” car in February

There were no fans in the stands but this guy climbed a six-foot fence to run on the field

It’s awesome to see old-time sports shot like a movie

Content is unavailable

Whatever works for you, I guess

Almost makes the months of darkness worth it

A creative sendoff

Tom Brady worked out with Deion Sanders’s son, a four-star quarterback recruit

Content is unavailable

Not sports

Something in deep space is emitting a radio signal every 157 days. ... Jeopardy! is out of fresh episodes to air and Alex Trebek wants it to be one of the first shows to resume taping.

They’re not bitter about it at all

If you haven’t seen the new Dave Chappelle special, fix that

A good song

Email dan.gartland@si.com with any feedback or follow me on Twitter for approximately one half-decent baseball joke per week. Bookmark this page to see previous editions of Hot Clicks and find the newest edition every day. By popular request I’ve made a Spotify playlist of the music featured here. Visit our Extra Mustard page throughout each day for more offbeat sports stories.

Published
Dan Gartland
DAN GARTLAND

Dan Gartland is the writer and editor of Sports Illustrated’s flagship daily newsletter, SI:AM, covering everything an educated sports fan needs to know. He joined the SI staff in 2014, having previously been published on Deadspin and Slate. Gartland, a graduate of Fordham University, is a former Sports Jeopardy! champion (Season 1, Episode 5).

Home/Extra Mustard