Associated Catholic Colleges cancel sport, as others set to follow suit
Principals from a dozen Melbourne Catholic schools, attended by thousands of mostly male students, have abandoned plans to resume inter-school sport in Term 3 amid fears other leagues will soon follow suit.
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Principals from a dozen mid-level Catholic schools, attended by thousands of mostly male students, have abandoned plans to resume inter-school sport in Term 3.
Associated Catholic Colleges, which includes CBC St Kilda, De La Salle College, Emmanuel College, Mazenod College, Parade College, Salesian College, Simonds Catholic College and St Bede’s College, announced a busy schedule of inter-school hockey, footy, soccer, cross country, basketball and table tennis, on June 23.
“Towards the end of Term 2, there were very positive signs that the strategies in place from federal and state governments for the suppression of COVID-19 were working effectively. The recent dramatic increase in localised infection numbers, along with the return of lockdown protocols in certain areas of Melbourne, provide a clear picture that there is still a long way to go in suppressing this virus.,” the association said.
“The safety and wellbeing of the students, staff and families within our school communities will always be the most important factor in any decision regarding our programs returning. As such, there will be no inter-school sport or activities until there is advice from the Victorian Education Department and the Catholic Education Commission of Victoria that it is safe to resume.”
It comes as a major private school close to a number of Melbourne lockdown postcodes cancelled all upcoming winter sport, as other elite schools reconsider their sporting programs in light of rising coronavirus numbers.
Penleigh and Essendon Grammar, which is located in Keilor East, has advised parents no sport training or Associated Public Schools matches will be played by its students in July and early August.
Director of sport Catherine Lane said it was “very disappointing that the teams that have worked so hard will not be able to play”.
Both the Associated Public Schools and Associated Grammar Schools of Victoria will meet next week to consider the future of the three rounds of sport planned for the start of term three for their 20 member schools.
A spokesman for the AGSV said a “board meeting would be held next week to make final call what we are going to do as the situation continues to unfold”.
This puts the possibility of thousands of students playing football, hockey, soccer and cross country, netball and basketball in doubt.
Its nine member schools also include Trinity Grammar, Ivanhoe Grammar and Camberwell Grammar.
Luke Soulos, executive officer for APS sport, which represents some of the state’s most elite schools including Melbourne Grammar, Wesley College and Geelong Grammar, said his competition based on the eastern and southern suburbs was less affected by lockdowns.
Despite this, a July 14 meeting will “determine the way forward and will we consider all factors,” he said. “We will take everything into account.
It comes as a growing number of sporting clubs are cancelling their seasons due to geographical lockdowns in affected suburbs.
The Victorian Amateur Football Association on Wednesday announced the end of its season, determining that the “health and safety risks are too great to proceed”.
Similarly, the Western Region Football League has decided to postpone its season until August 9.
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