Rowing SA cancels first School Premiership Series Regatta, while other clubs brace for financial loss

SA sporting clubs are bracing for financial loss due to a two-week sport shutdown, as students are left disappointed after the cancellation of a large rowing regatta.

Unley High School Year 11 students Asha Grace and Connor Donnellan are disappointed the 2020 School Premiership Series Regatta has been cancelled due to COVID-19. Picture” Matt Turner

A prestigious school rowing regatta is among sporting events cancelled due to a COVID-19 enforced shutdown, while some cricket clubs are expecting to lose a few thousand dollars.

Community sport has been suspended until December 1 – part of restrictions still in place on Tuesday as SA Health continues to try and contain a COVID-19 cluster in Adelaide’s north.

Sport confined to schools’ own sites was allowed to continue, but community competitions and inter-school events remain not permitted because it would make contact tracing difficult, according to SAPOL.

Rowing SA was forced to cancel the first School Premiership Series Regatta of the season, which was set to be hosted at West Lakes this weekend.

It comes after Head of the River rowing regatta went ahead in a shortened format this year during SA’s first COVID-19 wave, with just senior school athletes and no spectators.

Unley High senior boys during the 2019 SA Schools’ Head of the River at West Lakes. Picture: Mark Brake

Rowing SA chief executive Andrew Swift said rescheduling the regatta was not an option given schools were edging closer to summer holidays.

But he hoped three School Premiership Series regattas would go ahead in February and March next year, with 15000 athletes and 15 schools set to attend,

“We have been fortunate to be able to run 14 regattas so far this season, with another 12 regattas remaining up until our season concludes in April 2021,” Swift said.

Unley High Year 11 student Asha Grace was disappointed but looked forward to next year.

“I know our senior girls were really looking forward to racing,” Asha, 17, said.

“We didn’t get a full Head of the River either so we are hoping next year we will be able to compete properly.”

Unley High School year 11 students Asha Grace and Connor Donnellan with their boats on at West Lakes. Picture: Matt Turner

Unley rowing co-ordinator Nick Lohmeyer said he felt sorry for the rising athletes who had a disruptive year.

Meanwhile, the South Australian Cricket Association is expecting to resume junior and senior games on December 5.

SACA premier cricket manager Steven Busbridge hoped to release new fixtures by the end of this week.

Some Premier club president who spoke to The Messenger said they could lose $1000 to $2000 of bar takings due to the trainings and the games, including a two-day men’s senior match, missed.

Gridiron SA was meant to host the final minor round of its season last weekend, with preliminary finals beginning this weekend.

Chairman John Wreghitt was still unsure of the next move but said a jump straight into the finals was on the cards.

Wreghitt said the health and safety of members was at the forefront of every decision but the two-week “pause” was frustrating.

“(The) three playoff teams are decided but the top spot which would then go straight to the championship game was up for grabs,” Wreghitt said.

Action from a men’s Premier Cricket match between Kensington and Tea Tree Gully last month. Picture: Keryn Stevens

“Gridiron is a minority sport ... when we get any momentum to build numbers we want to run with it.”

Football SA has also yet to reschedule its NPL and State League men’s preliminary finals.

Clubs SA chief executive Mike Penfold said sports teams with licenced venues were feeling the pinch because most were still open, but had less people coming through the doors with no training or games.

Penfold called on the State Government to offer grants to clubs that had no employees but were volunteer-only because they were

He said those clubs were “still doing it tough” and still had hundreds of members and expenses, which were no different to organisations that do employ people.

Sports Minister Corey Wingard said the government was doing its best to help sports clubs get back on their feet.

“2020 has been a really tough year for all sporting clubs across the state,” Mr Wingard said.

“The (government) has already provided more than $21 million in support to the sport and recreation sector through the COVID-19 pandemic.”