Crowd thumbs COVID laws at GPS rugby final
A large crowd of spectators has been busted ignoring social distancing rules at a historic GPS rugby match in Brisbane, lining the street for a glimpse of the action, but the host school said it was powerless to control them. SEE THE PICTURES
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A crowd of at least 50 people flouted social distancing rules to watch the historic Brisbane Boys’ College/Nudgee GPS rugby final in Toowong on Saturday.
Photos taken by an outraged motorist, who had just left a children’s party where the 10-person rule was enforced, showed a crowd stretching along a boundary fence at Miskin St.
Many of the people were standing shoulder-to-shoulder, watching or taking pictures, with no masks or obvious hand sanitising.
It was a starkly different story inside the school grounds, however, with vigilant security guards seen ordering “trespassers’’ off the premises.
Parents and officials had to wear pink wristbands to identify themselves and most of the spectators, including a large number of Old Boys from both schools, watched the game from five off-site venues.
Video of the game shows few spectators but did show elated team members hugging and high fiving each other, in breach of rules.
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Even current BBC students were not allowed on the sidelines to watch their First XV pull off victory.
The event was expected to attract massive interest as BBC will clinch the premiership outright for the first time in 66 years if they win their next match against Brisbane State High School.
BBC said it contacted Indooroopilly police in the lead-up to the game to alert them to the huge public interest in the schoolboys’ clash.
“The (crowd pictured) were not on school grounds – rather, on a public street where it is the responsibility of the individual to maintain social distancing,’’ a spokeswoman said.
“As all GPS schools have throughout term 3 sports and activities, the college operated under strict adherence to the GPS Return to Play Protocols on Saturday with only two spectators permitted per participating player.
“Given the particularly keen public interest in Saturday’s First XV game, additional security was in place to help monitor appropriate spectator attendance on campus.
“The College was in communication with local police in the days leading up to Saturday’s fixture and had made them aware of the time of the game and potential public interest.
“They (police) had indicated they would drive by during the course of the game.’’
She said BBC shared a livestream link to encourage supporters to watch the match from their homes.
“Current BBC students gathered in College Hall, while a number of Old Boy and Rugby Supporters Functions were hosted externally at venues operating under approved COVIDsafe plans,’’ she said.