Brisbane (Australia) (AFP)

The sequel to the Rugby Championship, pending for several days due to restrictions linked to the Covid pandemic, will be played in the Australian state of Queensland, organizers said on Tuesday.

"The disruptions that the + variant Delta + is currently causing have prompted governments to tighten border security measures," said Sanzaar boss Brendan Morris, quoted in the press release published on the Rugby Championship website.

"That's why we had no other option but to relocate most of the competition to Queensland," he added.

The four selections entered in this championship between best teams of the southern hemisphere will be placed in quarantine in the city of Gold Coast (east), before facing each other from September 12 to October 2 in Brisbane, Townsville and Gold Coast.

After a smoothly contested first day, the All Blacks gave up going to Perth, Australia, to face the Wallabies there on the second day scheduled for August 28.

Worried about the epidemic resumption in Oceania, the triple world champions had also decided to suspend their participation in the competition, causing the fury of Australia.

The fate of this meeting between All Blacks and Wallabies, which was also to serve as the third match of the Bledisloe Cup (already acquired in New Zealand thanks to its victories in the first two duels), has not affected 'elsewhere not decided on Tuesday.

But the organizers of the Rugby Championship have confirmed that the match will take place in Perth, and said its date will be announced in the coming days.

The attribution of most of the remaining matches to the State of Queensland puts an end to the South African track: after the withdrawal of the New Zealanders, the reigning world champions had offered to host the rest of the tournament on their ground.

The pandemic had already turned the Rugby Championship upside down in 2020, prompting South Africa to withdraw from competition altogether due to health restrictions.

Schedule of the next Rugby Championship matches:

Day three (Gold Coast, September 12)

New Zealand - Argentina

South Africa - Australia

Day four (Brisbane, September 18)

Argentina - New Zealand

Australia - South Africa

Day five (Townsville, September 25)

New Zealand - South Africa

Australia - Argentina

Day 6 (Gold Coast, October 2)

South Africa - New Zealand

Argentina - Australia

NB: The date of the match day 2 Australia - New Zealand, played in Perth, remains to be determined.

© 2021 AFP