Oct 11, 2020 - Sports

Test rugby resumes with New Zealand-Australia game in front of 30,000 fans

Rebecca Falconer

Marika Koroibete of the Wallabies dives over to score a try during the Bledisloe Cup match between New Zealand and Australia Wallabies on October 11, 2020 in Wellington, New Zealand. — Marika Koroibete of the Wallabies dives over to score a try during the Bledisloe Cup match between the New Zealand All Blacks and the Australian Wallabies in Wellington, New Zealand, on Sunday. Photo: Phil Walter/Getty Images

New Zealand's All Blacks and Australia's Wallabies on Sunday played the first rugby Test since the pandemic saw international fixtures postponed, with some 30,000 fans in attendance.

The big picture: Wallabies captain Michael Hooper said ahead of the game in the coronavirus-free Wellington, New Zealand, that it was a "new era," adding the crowd consisted of "25,000 more than we've been used to, thanks to COVID," per AFP.

NZ has had no detected COVID-19 cases in the community since officials announced Wednesday that the final six people linked to the Auckland cluster in the country's second outbreak had recovered.

Of note: Health officials said before the game that ended in a draw that hand sanitizer would be provided, and they urged fans to register their attendance on contacting tracing apps and stay home if sick, per Stuff.

Go deeper: New Zealand "beat the virus again," PM Jacinda Ardern says

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Test rugby resumes with New Zealand-Australia game in front of 30,000 fans

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