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The Melbourne Rebels could be forced to stay in Canberra for at least a month as the rate of coronavirus cases in Victoria continues to rise.
The recent outbreak led to the Rebels relocating their entire squad and coaching staff to Canberra last week, but are now unsure how long they'll remain at their temporary base.
In response to Victoria recording a further 75 cases of COVID-19 in 24 hours, the Queensland government on Monday released new restrictions for sporting teams.
Any Queensland team must quarantine for 14 days if they play a Melbourne team in Queensland, play a match in Melbourne, or play in another state against a team that has been in Melbourne in the past two weeks.
The Rebels will move their round-two home fixture against the Queensland Reds to NSW, with Leichhardt Oval and Brookvale Oval mooted as possible options.
It's unknown whether the Melbourne outfit will relocate to Sydney or stay at their current training base in Duntroon.
Rebels centre Billy Meakes says the uncertainty around their future plans has been overshadowed by the excitement of Super Rugby AU's launch.
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The Victorians will open their season against the ACT Brumbies at Canberra Stadium on Saturday night.
"I don't know if there's too much concern at the moment, I think the overriding emotion at the moment is excitement about playing," Meakes said.
"There is a bit of uncertainty about where we will be in the coming weeks but one thing that is certain is we're playing the Brumbies this Saturday. We're super excited to be back out there."
The Rebels have won five of their last six matches against the Brumbies, but Dan McKellar's side held on to win their most recent encounter 39-26 in Canberra.
The Brumbies won five out of six matches and led the Australian conference ladder by 10 points before the Super Rugby season was shutdown.
Meakes is wary of playing the Brumbies at home and expects them to again be a tough proposition, saying it will set the benchmark for the Super Rugby AU season.
"The Brumbies are very dangerous. Any team that comes to Canberra Stadium, especially at this time of the year, has a tough battle ahead of them" Meakes said.
"This is going to be a very tough game and it's definitely going to be a huge one in terms of how the season looks.
"Facing the Brumbies first to get off with a win would be huge for us moving into the rest of the competition. This is about as serious as it gets for us."
Meakes is bracing for a battle in the centres against former Northern Suburbs teammate Irae Simone, who he says has developed into a fantastic number 12.
The 24-year-old Brumby made 46 tackles, 31 runs and a total of 216 running metres in five matches before the season was shutdown.
Simone scored the opening try against the Rebels in their round-two clash earlier this year, leaving Meakes impressed by his performance.
"I rate Irae very highly. He's obviously a bit younger than me and we both came from the same club in Sydney, I think he's developed as a fantastic number 12," Meakes said.
"He's playing in a really strong Brumbies team and has impressed me, particularly at the start of the Super Rugby competition this year. I'm sure he's keen to keep that form going.
"It's always nice playing against good players because it brings the best out of yourself.
"We've had some great battles over the years and it's definitely one I'm excited for on Saturday night."