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The NRL will continue and play round two of the competition behind closed doors despite the coronavirus pandemic, but rugby league's most senior figures have warned that the game has "never faced a challenge like this".
Key points:
- The federal government has announced that mass gatherings of over 500 people will be banned after this weekend over the coronavirus pandemic
- Super Rugby has made the call to suspend its season after this weekend because of new self-isolating requirements for people entering New Zealand
- The NRL intends to carry on and play round two next weekend, but acknowledges that "any decision they take today, may change tomorrow"
Sporting organisations are having to deal with the move by the New Zealand Government to tighten restrictions, requiring people returning from Australia — and most other countries — to self-isolate for 14 days.
ARLC chairman Peter V'landys and NRL chief executive Todd Greenberg spoke to the media on Sunday saying the situation was changing hour by hour.
"In the interim we will continue round two. At this stage, we will play round two and assess the situation," V'landys said.
"Any decision we make today could change tomorrow. We are going to review all options, including isolating players and suspending the season."
V'landys said the NRL had engaged a biosecurity expert and a pandemic expert to provide advice on what needed to be done by the league.
"This situation is fluid and is changing by the hour.
"We will continue to take experts' advice … and we will continue to act on that advice."
The New Zealand-based Warriors will remain in Australia for the moment, staying at Kingscliff and playing their next match against Canberra on the Gold Coast.
"The players are now facing an unplanned stretch away from their families and that is not lost on any of us. It is a significant sacrifice that they are making," Greenberg said.
"If the advice changes, we will change as well and we are listening carefully to that advice. We are in this together.
"Everything we do is about keeping our players healthy and making sure they can continue to play."
V'landys called on the Federal Government for assistance, warning that the league's financial reserves were finite, and that a prolonged period of suspension would hurt the game.
"You are 100 per cent right, if one player, one ball boy goes down, we need to reassess and that is why it is fluid by the hour and why we are leaving every option on the table, including suspending the season if need be," he said.
"We have some funds but those funds will run out very quickly. We need to keep our clubs viable.
"I can't stress enough, our game has never faced a challenge like this.
"The longer it takes, the more pressure on our financial viability.
"It could have catastrophic effects on us moving forward. Our money will only last so long and once it is extinguished, we are in big trouble."
Greenberg acknowledged that there were other concerns other than financial viability putting a case to remain on the field.
"We know that in a crisis like this, with our communities, one thing that binds people together is a sport and we know that rugby league binds people together like nothing else," the NRL chief executive said.
"So as long as we can keep our players on the field and, rugby league being played on a weekend, that will contribute enormously to the social fabric of the country."
The Warriors, however, have not ruled out returning to New Zealand after the Raiders encounter next weekend.
Such a move would create doubt that the season could continue in light of New Zealand's travel restrictions.
Warriors chief executive Cameron George said the club would consult the players before deciding whether to remain in Australia.
"We'll make some big decisions at the end of the week, and it will be based on family and player outcomes," he said.
Super Rugby season halted after this weekend
Earlier, Super Rugby organisers decided to suspend the competition indefinitely after the weekend's games.
SANZAAR, the body that runs Super Rugby, said the tournament would be off for the "foreseeable future" with only seven of 18 rounds of the regular season completed.
The decision was prompted by New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern's announcement that people entering the country from trips overseas, including returning New Zealand citizens, would have to self-isolate for 14 days from midnight on Sunday. Only travellers from a handful of Pacific Island nations were exempted.
That decision makes the cross-border Super Rugby competition untenable, with the tournament featuring teams from five nations, including five teams from New Zealand.
Your questions on coronavirus answered:
Teams from Australia, Japan, South Africa and Argentina also play in Super Rugby, which runs from January to June. All five countries have confirmed coronavirus cases.
"The safety and welfare of the public, our players and other stakeholders is paramount and, as previously stated, we were always going to abide by government and health authority instructions on the issue of COVID-19 containment," SANZAAR chief executive Andy Marinos said.
"We are extremely disappointed for the players, our fans, broadcasters and partners, but given the complexity of our competition structure and the multiple geographies that we cover, we have no other option but to align with such directives.
"We also believe it is time for all those players currently overseas to return home and to be with their families."
There were still three games in the round to be played when the suspension announcement came — in South Africa, Argentina and Australia.
The Sharks v Stormers match in South Africa went ahead — with the Sharks winning 24-14 — but the match in Buenos Aires between Argentina's Jaguares and New Zealand's Highlanders, which was to be played without spectators, was cancelled late on Saturday.
What the experts are saying about coronavirus:
The Highlanders will not be able to return to New Zealand before the midnight Sunday deadline, meaning players, coaches and support staff will have to self-isolate for 14 days.
The Brumbies won the final match before the competition was suspended when they defeated New South Wales 47-14 in front of 8,167 spectators at Canberra Stadium this afternoon.
ABC/AP
Topics: infectious-diseases-other, respiratory-diseases, sport, rugby-union, rugby-league, nrl, super-rugby, australia, new-zealand, south-africa
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