Following SANZAAR’s decision to suspend Vodafone Super Rugby at the completion of Round 7, I wanted to reach out to you and outline the actions that NSW Rugby Union (NSWRU) are taking in conjunction with the game’s various stakeholders.
The suspension comes as a result of the Australian government’s decision to advise against organised non-essential large gatherings of 500+ people from Monday 16 March, and the New Zealand government’s decision yesterday to impose a 14-day self-isolation period for returning travellers.
These announcements and SANZAAR’s subsequent action are the result of advice from various health organisations across the world.
We’re working closely with SANZAAR, Rugby Australia and our fellow state Unions on the best approach in this unprecedented scenario for professional sport and the wider community.
SANZAAR’s statement outlines that the competition will be suspended for “the foreseeable future” and this measure has the full support of NSWRU in the interests of protecting the health and safety of our players, officials and the general public.
That being said, I’d like to reiterate that this decision and the protocols implemented as a result will be continually reviewed and updated amidst what is a very fluid situation.
In the here and now, our Chief Medical Officer has already implemented a number of precautionary measures for our players and staff around travel, hygiene, self-quarantine as well as limiting access to the club environment.
We have taken the step of postponing any community activities involving players and over the remainder of the weekend we’ll be looking at ‘work from home’ arrangements for staff.
We’re working through the various impacts this competition suspension will have on our operations at NSWRU, and we’ll communicate more information as it comes to light.
SANZAAR will continue to keep us updated on further developments or changes and I’m hopeful we can have some more detail on what the remainder of the competition looks like in the coming days.
Things are continuing to change and as a game we need to be prepared to react accordingly, on behalf of everyone at NSWRU we appreciate your patience and support as we assess our next steps.
Most importantly look after yourselves and your loved ones during this time.
Paul Doorn
