NRL reintroduces Level 4 Covid protocols amid Sydney outbreak

The NRL has moved to reintroduce stricter biosecurity protocols as Sydney continues to report instances of community Covid transmission.

Even clubs based outside New South Wales will be subject to the new restrictions. Picture: Alix Sweeney

The NRL has advised players and officials to revert to Level 4 Biosecurity Protocols as the Delta variant of Covid-19 continues to move through Sydney.

Under the new regulations, players must remain at home unless training, playing or “completing an essential household task”.

Players and officials are not permitted to welcome visitors into their homes. The new restrictions will apply to all players and officials, not just those based in Sydney.

“When the competition resumes on Thursday night, players and officials will be under the same protocols as they were when the competition successfully resumed on May 28 last year,’’ NRL chief executive Andrew Abdo said in a statement released Monday.

“It’s clear the virus is spreading quickly and these measures provide an additional safeguard to ensure the competition can continue.

“Our players, officials and clubs united last year to ensure no risk to the competition or the community and I have every confidence the same will apply as we work through the current challenges.

“I want to sincerely thank the players and clubs for the way in which they continually adapt to the changing Covid environment.”

Andrew Abdo has been the NRL’s CEO since 2020. (Photo by Matt King/Getty Images)

The news comes after the NRL reintroduced Level 3 Biosecurity Protocols for Sydney-based clubs last week in response to the city’s Covid outbreak.

Sydney’s current lockdown is set to lift at midnight on July 9, before which time there will be six games played in Sydney and one on the Central Coast — a region of Greater Sydney which is also under lockdown.

All seven games are set to proceed without crowds.

Late last week, the Roosters announced they would move their round 16 clash with the Storm to McDonald Jones Stadium in Newcastle as a precautionary measure.

“The people of the Hunter Region love rugby league, so it was an easy call to take our round 16 home game to Newcastle,” Roosters head coach Trent Robinson said on Thursday.

It remains to be seen whether any other Sydney-based clubs will follow suit for future fixtures.

In response to Sydney’s Covid outbreak, Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk banned travellers from Greater Sydney from entering the state for Origin II, which was held at Brisbane’s Suncorp Stadium on Sunday.

“I know this is a difficult time, but my priority is always the health and safety of Queenslanders,” said Queensland chief health officer Jeannette Young at the time.

With Game III pencilled in for Sydney’s Stadium Australia on July 14, the NRL is currently exploring contingency plans in anticipation that crowds may not be permitted to attend.

New South Wales deputy premier John Barilaro has spoken to ARL Chairman Peter V’landys about moving the game to Newcastle.

Despite the growing risk of COVID-19 in Greater Sydney, we will not be giving up our right to host the State of Origin decider.

I’ve spoken to @pvlandys and indicated we could host the game in Newcastle if the health advice recommends it not be held in Sydney.

— John Barilaro MP (@JohnBarilaroMP) June 26, 2021

It would be the first Origin game held in Newcastle in history and would make the 2021 series the first to feature only one game in an Australian state capital.