THE CLASSIC ALL BLACKS WILL FACE THE SPANISH TEAM IN THE WANDA METROPOLITANO ON SATURDAY, MAY 21, 2022

● The match, initially scheduled for May 29, 2020, and subsequently postponed to May 8, 2021, could not be held due to the state of alarm caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.

● All tickets purchased to date are valid to access the Wanda Metropolitano Stadium on the new match date.

● Kiwi House, the promoter of the event, would like to thank Atlético de Madrid for their involvement in closing this new date on the calendar as quickly as possible, as well as the Spanish Rugby Federation and the Classic All Blacks for their willingness and commitment to maintaining the celebration. In addition, we thank the Madrid City Council and the Madrid Regional government for their absolute support, as well as the sponsors for their continued support to this historic event.

● It should be noted that only 15% of the 37,000 tickets holders have requested a refund.

Madrid, June 10, 2021 – The historic rugby match that will face the Spanish National Team against the Classic All Blacks at the Wanda Metropolitano Stadium, in Madrid, finally has a date: it will be played on Saturday, May 21, 2022.

The match was initially scheduled for May 29, 2020, a date that was later postponed until May 8, 2021, due to the conditions imposed by the order to comply with the health protocol in the fight against the pandemic Covid-19. From the very first day, the postponement was moved to a date in which the both the players and the attending public could enjoy the game with peace of mind whilst respecting sanitary requirements. At first Kiwi House, the promoter of the event, consulted with the Classic All Blacks and the Federation to transfer the match to September 2020, but after further consultation with the different institutions and official bodies, it was agreed that the match would be played on May 8, 2021 in the same setting.

Subsequently, and given the virulence of the pandemic, Bill Osborne, president of New Zealand Rugby and Chris Haden, current CEO of the Classic All Blacks, communicated, through a letter addressed to Spanish fans, their inability to travel in 2021. “In New Zealand, after the initial impact, the approach to addressing Covid-19 has been zero tolerance which has allowed us to get on with our lives. However, this approach has also limited our ability to physically travel and interact with the rest of the world. This policy will remain in place until the end of 2021, at which point we hope that the effects of the vaccine being launched globally have sufficiently reduced the risks for global travel. We apologize that the Classic All Blacks cannot travel to Madrid and play the game in May 2021. At the same time, we are committed to holding this game in May 2022.”

Kiwi House would like to thank both the Classic All Blacks and the Federation for their willingness and commitment to always maintain the celebration of the match. We also thank Atlético de Madrid for their involvement in closing the match date on the calendar as quickly as possible. We extend our gratitude to the Madrid City Council and the Madrid regional government, who have shown us their absolute support during these complicated months, as well as to the sponsors for their continued support for the event.

Last but not least, but certainly the most important, we would like to thank the public and Spanish rugby for their understanding and collaboration during this period of uncertainty. It should be noted that only 15% of the 37,000 tickets holders have requested a refund. Those who want to request the return of the tickets can do so from today, June 10 and until June 24, fulfilling the period of 14 calendar days from the publication of this statement. All tickets purchased so far will be valid to access the Wanda Metropolitano, and those who want to purchase new or additional tickets will have this possibility when the ticket platform reopens, something that will occur towards at the end of 2021.

From Kiwi House we are delighted to announce that on May 21, 2022 the great Spanish rugby event will take place and that the stands of the Wanda Metropolitano Stadium will be packed so that we can all enjoy this celebration we have been waiting for so long.