Rain threatens to ruin 2022 sport season as registrations drop

It was supposed to be the first normal season in three years — but 2022 winter sport has been hit with fresh hurdles as registrations drop and wet fields scupper playtime.

First the pandemic and now months of torrential rain is cruelling the return of the much loved winter sport season for kids and families who have already endured two years of cancellations.

With restrictions lifted, community sports groups hope this will be their first complete season since 2019.

But with teams struggling to get on to flooded fields to train or play, junior sporting codes across Sydney are reporting a drop in numbers ahead of the long-awaited 2022 season.

While kids that took to the greens and courts during lockdown to legally stave off cabin fever, seemed to have stuck with the sport post-pandemic.

Maroubra Lions Junior Rugby League Club President Andrew Nikas said the combination of Covid fears and months of bad weather has impacted registration numbers at his Eastern Suburbs club.

The Maroubra Lions Rugby League Club, where registrations have dropped. Picture: Christian Gilles

“Covid has really disrupted our ability to have kids playing in the game. Our registration numbers are down, our team numbers are down and on top of that the bad weather we’ve had over the last month has also really hurt us because we can’t get on the park to train,” Mr Nikas told The Daily Telegraph.

“NSWRL haven’t really helped with the Covid situation either, they’ve brought in new transfer and clearance rules because there’s been no grand finals and they’re trying to make sure the really strong teams don’t get stronger but its limiting the movement of kids within clubs and it’s actually made it nearly impossible to make up numbers.

“So we’re losing kids and we can’t replenish our team numbers.”

The NSW Government introduced in 2020 the $25 million Community Sport Recovery Package with almost half the package allocated to grassroot sports.

The package was continued last year to support sport and recreation particularly local government areas heav­ily impacted by restrictions however recent floods have continued to wreak havoc on community sport competitions.

Shadow Sports Minister Julia Finn said: “After two years of pandemic, the fires before and the floods since community sport across the whole state needs help.”

Member for Granville Julia Finn. Picture: AAP Joel Carrett

“The Government belatedly allocated funding for community sport but have never said how much money has actually been spent to date or where it was spent,” she said.

Carlingford Cougars Junior Rugby League Club President Damien Mackay is remaining hopeful parents register their kids once the rain-delayed-season finally kicks off.

“We’re slightly down on last year’s numbers and the feeling I get is there’s a lot of parents out there that don’t want to spend the rego in case something like Covid sparks up again,” Mr Macky told The Daily Telegraph.

“I think that will hopefully pass once the season kicks off and kids start talking at school and get excited.

“Last year we had record numbers and that’s off the back of a lot of interest from the girls in tackle footy so that’s been really good. We had about 90 that registered last year and we’re sitting at 75 this year which we’re pretty happy about.”

As have the Carlingford Cougars.

The Matraville Tigers have been affected …

Meanwhile Matraville Tigers Secretary Rachel Strong said she has experienced a loss in registration numbers and is also struggling to field teams.

“We’ve lost teams and am continuing to lose players since Covid hit, and now we’re dealing with the rain that’s keeping us off the field,” she said.

With tennis deemed a Covid-safe activity the last two years, many kids choosing to take up the sport in lockdown has sparked an increase in participation for the sport.

Stevan Arsic from iPlAY tennis in Sydney said “numbers have just gone up and up over the pandemic and after the pandemic.”

“We’re still seeing numbers go up and we can’t keep up, I have a waiting list and am even having to turn people away.”

“I guess it was one of the only sports people could play and we’ve seen kids of all ages between 5 and 18 become interested, people that have never played before have wanted to keep playing.”

NSW Sport Minister Stuart Ayres said it was time to get the boots on and kids back on the field.

“We’d love to see people who drifted away during Covid to be back on the park again,” he said.

“On top of having plenty of fun community sport is also a great way to stay fit, healthy and active.

“With Active Kids vouchers available now is the time to dust of those registration forms and get back out there enjoy all the benefits that local sport has to offer.”