WELLINGTON, Aug 17 (Reuters) - The first North Island versus South Island rugby game in New Zealand in eight years could be shifted to Wellington if a COVID-19 lockdown of Auckland is not lifted by this week, New Zealand Rugby (NZR) said on Monday.
The fixture between the composite sides representing teams from each of New Zealand's two main islands was scheduled for Auckland's Eden Park on Aug. 29.
New Zealand's government, however, last week imposed a lockdown on Auckland after a resurgence of the coronavirus.
The lockdown forced the cancellation of last Sunday's Super Rugby Aotearoa match between the Auckland Blues and Canterbury Crusaders. squads will now assemble in Wellington to prepare for the match," NZR's head of professional rugby Chris Lendrum said in a statement.
"A final decision on the venue for the match will be made following the Government's review of COVID-19 levels on Friday."
NZR said the match would be played at Wellington Regional Stadium on Aug. 29 if it is unable to go ahead in Auckland.
The North-South match was once an annual fixture but has been played just twice since 1986, the last time in Dunedin in 2012 as a fund-raising match for the cash-strapped Otago Rugby Union.