Willowfest Australian Cricket Championships cancelled for 2020
A popular Victorian cricket carnival won’t go ahead in 2020 due to the coronavirus, even as regional rules ease. Here’s why Mildura’s Willowfest committee made the call.
Mildura
Don't miss out on the headlines from Mildura. Followed categories will be added to My News.
The Mildura-based Willowfest Australian Cricket Championships won’t be held in 2020 after organisers opted to cancel the event due to the coronavirus.
Willowfest, held annually in the week between Christmas and new year’s, attracts teams from regional Victoria, suburban Melbourne and interstate for a summer cricket getaway.
A Willowfest veteran’s event scheduled for this month was also cancelled.
Willowfest president Anthony Telfer said the virus, Melbourne’s lockdown and border restrictions were all factors.
“In the end it became an easy call because there’s so many unknowns,” he said.
Last week’s easing of rules in regional Victoria opened up the possibility of travel within regional areas, as well as giving a green light to non-contact outdoor sport.
New South Wales allowing “border region” residents with permits to cross state boundaries also helped the Sunraysia Cricket Association announce its 2020-21 season would be going ahead for juniors and seniors.
But for Willowfest, with so many teams coming from afar, there remained too many uncertainties.
It wasn’t clear what the status was likely to be for South Australian, ACT and non-border region NSW teams, nor whether Melburnians would be able to travel.
Telfer said in recent years about half the entered teams were from Melbourne, while there were also about 10 to 15 umpires who journeyed up from Melbourne or Geelong.
Life members whose playing days were behind them also continued to make trips to Mildura to watch the tournament as spectators.
“People are upset and disappointed,” Telfer said.
“There were new teams all lined up to come this year. It was going to be a good year, but if we can’t get them in, then we can’t have a comp.”
Telfer said the committee was set on both events returning next year.
He said it was disappointing the veteran’s competition, which was Mildura Rural City Council’s event of the year in its debut running, was being put on hold for a year.
Matches are played in Mildura and the Wentworth Shire.
The last time Willowfest didn’t run was in 1999.
Telfer said that year, it became apparent the impact the event had on the local economy over the new year’s period.
“We had a lot more support in 2000 when we looked to run it again, because people recognised the importance of running Willowfest at that time of year,” he said.
Check out more stories at The Mildura News here
Want to become a digital subscriber? Join now on our latest offer here
Contact reporter Michael DiFabrizio
Follow us on Facebook here
MORE MILDURA NEWS:
ROOM FOR MORE AS MILDURA BOOKINGS INCREASE
MILDURA BACK IN BUSINESS AS RESTRICTIONS EASE
BODY FOUND IN MURRAY RIVER NEAR MILDURA
MILDURA’S TOP 10 MOST INFLUENTIAL PEOPLE
BUYERS SWARM OVER BARGAIN HOMES NEAR MILDURA
BEST 10 PLAYERS TO COME FROM THE SUNRAYSIA LEAGUE
ICONIC PADDLE-STEAMERS GROUNDED BY BORDER SHUTDOWN