Super Rugby chiefs say it is premature to talk about alternative fixtures after the season was suspended to contain the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic.

The southern-hemisphere championship, which features 15 teams sprawled across five countries and 16 time zones, was halted after this weekend’s round seven when New Zealand imposed travel restrictions from midnight on Sunday that demand that all inbound travellers self-isolate for 14 days.

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Speaking to Radio Sport, Sanzaar chairperson Brent Impey said that while it is too early to discuss alternative fixtures in the season, consideration still needs to be given to the needs of the teams, sponsors, broadcasters and other industries associated with the tournament.

‘It’s a priority but it would be unrealistic to expect answers to those questions in, say, 48 hours,’ Impey said.

‘You can go further into people who depend on short-term contracts. It’s their lifeblood. This goes to the heart of everything. Rugby is important, Super Rugby is important, but health and safety is far more important.

‘The whole eco-system, if you like, needs to be managed fairly carefully. It’s incumbent on all of us, the broadcasters included, to work through the ramifications and come up with potential alternatives.

‘The primary responsibility is to mitigate the damage and that’s what we will be trying to do.’