The NSW Waratahs have confirmed their first two fixture locations for Vodafone Super Rugby AU.
Rob Penney’s side will host the Western Force at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) on Saturday 11 July, before taking in the Brumbies at ANZ Stadium on Saturday 18 July.
NSW Rugby is still awaiting confirmation on the location of their final two home fixtures against the Reds (Saturday 8 August) and the Rebels (Saturday 29 August).
It’s expected these will be confirmed in early-July as conversations between NSW Rugby, the Sydney Cricket Ground Trust and Venues NSW continue.
NSW Rugby CEO, Paul Doorn said the organisation was working to secure the final locations for their Super Rugby AU home games.
“We’re of course still operating without a permanent home ground while we await the construction of the new Sydney Football Stadium, but during this period many teams have been displaced or playing in unfamiliar surrounds,” Doorn said.
“We’ve got a great relationship with the SCG Trust and understand that both they, and Venues NSW are working within a very congested sporting market at present.
“We’re all facing challenges as we look to see professional sport return post-COVID and scheduling is one of them, we’ve seen how quickly things can change [with bio-security] but we’re close to locking in all of our home games.”
Doorn said that the ability for Members and fans to attend games live was still being worked through based on final venues.
“Each location presents different challenges and opportunities in terms of crowd attendance and we’re still working through those,” Doorn added.
“We’re just really excited about professional rugby returning and we’ll be keeping Members and fans informed of our progress in how they can potentially access games throughout this domestic competition.”
NSW Waratahs Vodafone Super Rugby AU home fixtures:
Round 2: Saturday 11 July v Western Force, Sydney Cricket Ground
Round 3: Saturday 18 July v Brumbies, ANZ Stadium
Round 6: Saturday 8 August v Reds, Sydney*
Round 9: Saturday 29 August v Rebels, Sydney*
*Location TBC
A full fixture list for the NSW Waratahs can be found here.