Rugby: Blues taking match to Samoa

The Blues are poised to announce they will play an official Super Rugby match in Samoa this year.

It's understood the Blues' scheduled home competition match against the Reds on June 2 will now be played in Apia.

The deal is a collaboration with the Samoan Government who also recently poured money into Joseph Parker's successful WBO title fight win over Andy Ruiz Junior in Auckland late last year.

It's believed the Blues' desire to take the game out of New Zealand was influenced by the fact they face the touring British and Irish Lions at Eden Park on June 6 - four days after the Reds clash.

Although there will be logistical challenges for Tana Umaga's team in flying to Samoa for the match and regrouping in time for the clash with the Lions, the Blues board has endorsed a pragmatic approach that recognised that the Reds game is a hard-sell so close to the Lions game.

While the Lions match is set to be a sell-out, the Reds game would not attract the same audience or interest. So taking the match to Samoa has upside despite the logistical challenges.

It will strengthen the Blues brand in Samoa where the visit of the All Blacks for the first time last year created enormous interest and fanfare.

It won't be the first time a Super Rugby competition match has been played outside the SANZAAR alliance of five countries in New Zealand, South Africa, Australia, Argentina and Japan.

The Crusaders hosted the Sharks at Twickenham in London in 2011, the year the Christchurch-based franchise had to take its home games on the road due to the deadly earthquake in the southern city.