This latest COVID-19 outbreak in Auckland is continuing to have a major impact on sport with the last remaining winter codes seasons hanging by a thread.
Auckland will finally move out of Level 4 lockdown tomorrow but that won’t help the Counties Manukau PIC Steelers in the NPC as they cling to the hope of re-starting their campaign.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced the region would move to Alert Level 3 from Wednesday and for a minimum of two weeks, which will make it very hard for the PIC Steelers to take any further part in the NPC, which re-started without the three Auckland-based provinces last weekend.
Let’s assume Auckland does indeed move to Level 2 in two weeks on October 6.
Given the need to have at least a week of training to ready bodies for contact, the earliest the PIC Steelers could play a competitive match would be the weekend of Oct 16-17.
That means the competition would have been back in action for four weeks before the Auckland sides are able to play again.
But unless the competition end date is pushed back to the end of November, it is hard to see how it is possible for the PIC Steelers, Auckland and North Harbour to make up the four games they will miss while the rest of the country continues to play.
The Counties Power Heat have cruelly had their season ended early for the same reason – a Black Ferns tour to the Northern Hemisphere has limited the Farah Palmer Cup window and the Auckland based provinces have been forced to withdraw.
This COVID-19 outbreak has already curtailed the Northern League Football season and Auckland Rugby League club competition, which was about to start with finals when lockdown hit.
Pukekohe Netball Centre had been hoping to re-start their season, with only one weekend needed to crown their champions and will meet tonight to look at their options.
The start of the summer sport season could well be delayed if we don’t move to Alert Level 2 in a fortnight.
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