Devils pull pin on 2020 season

Gympie players would rather ‘see the season cancelled and start fresh in 2021’

RUGBY LEAGUE: It might be a long off season for Gympie Devils as the committee decided it was in the best interests of the club to not proceed in the 2020 season.

It was not a decision which was made lightly, in Facebook post by the club on Sunday, the Devils committee said the restrictions of COVID-19 would make it difficult to play in the Sunshine Coast Rugby League Competition.

Gympie Devils fans will have a long off season before they see the players on the field at Jack Stokes.

“After weeks of surveys and back and forward communication with the Sunshine Coast Gympie Rugby League it was the best interest of our club and players not to participate in the 2020 season.

“Our club sent out a survey to our senior players to gauge their thoughts on returning to play in 2020 in a reduced season and the results came back with 70 to 80 per cent saying they would rather see the season cancelled and start fresh in 2021.

“The amount of volunteers our club would need to find to implement all the processes on training and game days would make it extremely hard on everyone”.

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Devils president Mitch Hillcoat said financial and COVID-19 restrictions had resulted in the decision to not nominate, with the majority of the playing group supporting the call.

He said playing at a centralised hub at Kawana didn’t suit them either.

“We’ve called ours (off) so we won’t be participating in a season,” he said.

“It wasn’t viable – we would’ve went backwards financially if we kept playing with all the rules and regulations that had to be implemented and we would’ve had to find a swag of volunteers.

“We put a survey out to all our players as well and 80 per cent of them said they’d rather see the season cancelled and start fresh in 2021, so we’ve got to listen to our players.”

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