Runaway Bay skipper among seven Coast rugby league players trapped overseas through border closure

At least seven Gold Coast Rugby League A Grade players have been trapped outside of Australia with no ability to return since the federal government closed the border on March 20.

At least seven Gold Coast Rugby League A Grade players have been trapped outside of Australia with no ability to return since the federal government closed the border on March 20.

Four players from the Runaway Bay Seagulls, including former captain Tane-James Rapira, have been stranded across New Zealand and the Cook Islands while a further three from the Ormeau Shearers are in lockdown in New Zealand and Papua New Guinea.

Tane Rapira, pictured in 2011.

Runaway Bay A Grade regulars Rapira and Ayden Kapi returned home to New Zealand when the COVID-19 outbreak began but were booked in to return to the Coast before the border closed.

New recruits, including Cook Islands international Tevin Arona and Zion Kamama from New Zealand, were also caught out by the sudden change.

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Ormeau coach Peri Creamer said three of his club’s 2020 recruitment class, most notably former Sunshine Coast Falcons forward Jordan Hall, would be unavailable for the Shearers until the border reopened.

Peri Creamer is the new Rugby League Gold Coast A grade coach at the Ormeau Shearers for 2020. Pic Tim Marsden

“That’s definitely been disappointing for us because they were guys I was looking forward to having time with this season,” Seagulls coach Nick Gleeson said.

“Tane has wanted to come over since October last year but was hanging out until the season started because he had a good job back home, then he’d come over and footy money would make the difference until he got a job here.

Runaway Bay Rugby League A-grade coach Nick Gleeson. Photograph : Jason O'Brien

“Tevin was going to be a big signing for us because he’d only just come over to advance his rugby league career after playing for Cook Islands in the World 9s

“He came over to play with Redcliffe but he didn’t like it.

“His uncle is an assistant coach here so he wanted to play over our way.

“They’d all be in our first grade side so that’s disappointing but we’ve got plenty of young fellas now the State under-20s competition is shut down.

“It’ll be exciting for us to see some juniors come back and we’ll see what they can do because we want our juniors graduating through to first grade.”