New Zealand's NRL side will likely stay as road Warriors this year, and the trans-Tasman cricket schedule could yet be shaken up again.
That's the sporting upshot from the New Zealand's plan to reopen borders, revealed by Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern on Thursday.
The plan will make international travel easier for Kiwi athletes, who will soon be able to self-isolate on return rather than fight for a place in quarantine.
Self-isolation will be allowed later this month for Kiwis travelling from Australia, and from next month for those travelling from further abroad.
That's good news for the Wellington Phoenix's women's side, who can dodge quarantine to isolate at home when their season concludes in March.
However, the shift will come too soon for Winter Olympians, who finish up in China later this month and must quarantine on return.
With no end date in sight for the self-isolation requirement - for either Kiwis or visitors - many teams will continue to dodge New Zealand this year.
For Kiwi teams in Australian competitions - like the NRL's Warriors, the NBL's Breakers and Wellington Phoenix in the A-Leagues - the pandemic has produced two years of away days.
The NRL, A-League and NBL is highly unlikely to reschedule fixtures and ask visiting Australian teams to isolate for a week to play a single match in NZ.
They are still waiting for the self-isolation provision to go, which will allow business as usual.
Touring nations - such as the South African men's cricket team due to land in NZ on Friday morning for two Tests, and the visiting Ireland men's rugby union side, due in July - have been more likely to agree to visit for their longer schedules.
Sport Minister Grant Robertson said visiting teams could at least avoid quarantine from April 13.
"Those people will be able to self-isolate from that point," he said.
"There are no exemptions from having to go through (self-isolation) but the training exemptions and protocols ... will carry on."
The plan will likely endanger the Australian men's three-match T20 tour, set for March, as it's unlikely they will self-isolate for a week to play three T20s.
Cricket Australia and New Zealand Cricket called off a short-form tour of Australia last month, and are in negotiations over a possible rescheduling that could also take in the three Kiwi T20s.
The new rules won't impact New Zealand's hosting of the Women's Cricket World Cup next month, as all teams have received quarantine places for the tournament.
Super Rugby is again running a split season, with separate Australian and NZ conferences, due to combine in late April.
Those crossover trans-Tasman matches are contingent on a relaxed self-isolation requirement, which the government says will be "reviewed constantly".
The NZ Super Rugby sides have relocated to Queenstown in an effort to avoid a virus-impacted season, starting in two weeks.
New Zealand's current COVID-19 "red" setting also bans crowds of more than 100, meaning those matches - and all major sport - is played behind closed doors.
