Super Rugby's Force move early matches from Perth

Super Rugby's Western Force will move from their Perth base to eastern Australia for early season fixtures to minimise coronavirus-related travel disruption, competition organisers said on Monday.

The Force were originally scheduled to play three of their first four matches at home in Western Australia but the state government this month scrapped plans to reopen borders with the rest of the country on 5 February.

Rugby Australia said the team would instead play its opening match against Brumbies on 20 February in Canberra and move its round four clash with NSW Waratahs to Sydney on 13 March.

"Unfortunately, we are all now well versed in dealing with these kinds of changes as we continue to navigate the uncertainty that surrounds Covid-19," Rugby Australia chief Andy Marinos said.

"We have managed to find a solution that maintains the integrity of the draw and allows us to proceed with minimal disruptions to the season."

He said the Force's round-three fixture against Queensland Reds on 5 March may still go ahead in Perth but details had not been finalised.

It is the second major virus-enforced revamp of the Super Rugby draw after organisers decided last month to drop trans-Tasman matches from the first nine rounds to avoid travel between Australia and New Zealand.

The overall format will remain unchanged - 15 regular-season rounds in a round-robin format followed by a three-week finals series.

The competition features five Australian teams, five from New Zealand plus newcomers Moana Pasifika, based in Auckland, and the Fijian Drua, with headquarters in rural New South Wales.