Great news for rugby fans everywhere! Super Rugby's abbreviated season featuring just the five New Zealand franchises will commence on June 13! 

The country will officially move to an alert level two on Thursday, meaning that professional sports will be able to resume without crowds. There will be two matches every weekend over ten weeks, one on Saturday at 5:05 PM (NZ Time) and one on Sunday at 3:05 PM (NZ Time). 

The schedule for the competition is here:

? Investec Super Rugby Aotearoa...coming June 13.

FULL STORY ?? https://t.co/WViL9jy1KE pic.twitter.com/V2Oga9K5ck

— Super Rugby (@SuperRugbyNZ) May 11, 2020

According to NZR Medical Manager Karen Rasmussen, strict, government-approved protocols will be taken to ensure the safety of all players and personnel involved. She says there will be "daily symptom and temperature checks for players, team management and other officials involved in the competition, as well as stringent hygiene and cleaning, contact tracing practices, and asking anyone who feels unwell to stay away, self-isolate and get tested."

Staff and players are urged to keep any contacts outside of their bubble for the time being, and the teams will all be flown into and out of games on the same day. 

Additionally, the Mitre 10 Cup season is scheduled to begin on September 11.