Tonight on The Breakdown, Mark Robinson joins the team to discuss potential options for NZR after COVID – 19 halts major sporting events. The Minister of Sport Hon. Grant Robertson discusses the overall impact on NZ Sport. Plus the team look at the last weekend of Super Rugby after the tournament gets suspended, and what a weekend it was. Video / Sky Sport
Global rugby fans, not solely those on home shores, will rejoice at New Zealand Rugby's plans to launch a domestic derby competition. Scepticism should, however, form prevailing sentiment.
As the sporting world comes to a standstill, any resumption would be gleefully welcomed to provide a distraction from thegrim realities of the coronavirus pandemic gripping the globe.
Kiwi derbies often provide Super Rugby's premier entertainment so why not utilise its suspension for the foreseeable future to clutch any ray of light amid the doom?
The concept itself would usually evoke much enthusiasm.
Given the current climate, it appears a desperate play. The question is not so much how long the proposed competition will last, but whether it gets underway within the suggested two-week window.
Consider the latest widespread coronavirus outbreaks across America and Europe and it's clear how rapidly the landscape can shift.
With no short-term fix in sight, projecting any competition to run over 10 to 12 weeks – well into June as winter nears – seems a major stretch as most other industry grinds to a shuddering halt.
On the surface attempting to stage Kiwi derbies makes business sense. New Zealand Rugby, the five franchises and broadcast partner Sky Television are all desperate to create any form of content to ward off financial ruin.
Those partners view a world-class pool of players fit and ready to play and minimal travel complications. They want to do something, anything, to keep rugby afloat.
At this point, New Zealand has 12 confirmed coronavirus cases but that number is certain to grow.
Everything we know about the virus suggests combating it is a marathon not a sprint – the situation will likely get worse before it gets better.
The radical bailout packages issued by respective governments, including New Zealand and France, reveal the scale of what's yet to come.
Sports such as the NRL that plough on as if nothing has changed will be made to look foolish in the long run.
Otere Black of the Blues in action against the Hurricanes. Photo / Photosport
Celebrities and sports stars are among those already affected and it, then, seems only a matter of time before the first New Zealand rugby player contracts the virus.
The Highlanders are serving two weeks in quarantine after returning from Argentina and the surrounding Dunedin area is a concern following the closure of Logan Park High School after a positive test there.
Other hot spots will inevitably crop up.
One difficult aspect in mitigating the spread of the virus is not everyone displays symptoms.
It's not hard to therefore envision a situation where the Crusaders play the Hurricanes in a match behind closed doors, only to discover two days later one player has the virus.
Both teams, including extended staff and everyone involved in staging that match, would then be required to quarantine for two weeks, which immediately kills off any proposed league.
A similar situation could easily play out while teams train during the week.
Then there is the paradox of postponing all community and club rugby until April 18 and staging Super Rugby games before that suspension runs.
No rugby, at any level, in the world is being played.
As borders close, country-wide lockdowns commence and social distancing measures are widely adopted in New York and London among other major cities, continuing contact sports carries significant risk.
Aside from asking 46 sweaty players to come together, which goes against most accepted advice, the other point to consider from a player welfare perspective is the common use of anti-inflammatory drugs in rugby and other contact sports.
French authorities warned that widely used over-the-counter anti-inflammatories such as ibuprofen may worsen coronavirus.
France's health minister, Olivier Véran, a qualified doctor and neurologist, recently explained: "The taking of anti-inflammatories could be a factor in aggravating the infection. In case of fever, take paracetamol. If you are already taking anti-inflammatory drugs, ask your doctor's advice."
Other health officials stress anti-inflammatory drugs are known risks for those with infectious illnesses as they diminish the response of the body's immune system.
New Zealanders should be thankful for decisive action taken and the lessons learnt from other countries suffering greatly during this global crisis.
Those lessons with regards to sport are much as it inspires and provides a welcome outlet, it cannot be exempt from measures to protect the masses.
