With all provincial rugby locked in for a September 17 return, Auckland-based teams are facing an uphill challenge to get battle-hardened.
With New Zealand's biggest city still firmly planted in COVID-19 Alert Level 4, a rejig in schedule means not only a lack of preparation for Counties-Manukau, Auckland and North Harbour, but also a logjam of fixtures to end the season for the NPC squads.
"We've given ourselves an extra week where we can play a catch-up round, but we're just trying to figure out when that will be,” NZ Rugby community rugby general manager Steve Lancaster says.
Because the Farah Palmer Cup is a shorter season, the three Auckland women's teams won't take part until the semi-finals.
"The Auckland teams will default the games and split the points for those they would have played," Lancaster adds.
This leaves disappointed Auckland sides watching from the sidelines.
"We get measured on these results and we will be starting a little bit further back," North Harbour men's coach Dan Halangahu tells Newshub.
And Halangahu knows they have a massive challenge when they finally take on teams who've already run off the lockdown rust.
"Taking on teams who are battle-hardened, who have been playing for a number of weeks... we'll be jumping in the deep end in our first game for a matter of months.
"That's the world at the moment, so you can't expect it to be fair and even. We will take on any battle that comes, but there are certainly some challenges.
"If we have our way, then yes, we would have some even playing field, but that's just not realistic at the moment.
"We are definitely not getting everything we want."
Sides further south are sympathetic, with Manawatu Cyclones coach Fusi Feaunati admitting their rivals are facing a "tough" challenge, but getting back onto the park is an exciting prospect, after a month of uncertainty.
"We're just making sure we keep the balance of the emotion and wait for the day that we can finally get back to it again," Feaunati adds.
And that day is coming soon for some teams than it is for others.
