Victoria-NSW leagues plan to go ahead as planned while Covid restrictions allow

Border competitions are going ahead as planned this weekend, but organisers are keeping a close eye out for developments on restrictions.

Country football leagues along the Victorian-NSW border are proceeding as planned this weekend, on the proviso restrictions relating to NSW’s Covid outbreak permit them.

While regional NSW has been declared an orange zone under the Victorian travel permit system since Sunday, the border region remains a green zone and the bubble remains in place for those who live in border communities.

Under NSW rules for major recreation facilities such as stadiums, showgrounds, theme parks, racecourses and motor racing tracks, one person per 4sqm is permitted and people must wear masks.

Ovens and Murray league manager Craig Millar said their fixture would proceed as planned, with two games, North Albury versus Corowa Rutherglen, and Lavington and Myrtleford, scheduled in NSW.

The requirements for players travelling from outside the bubble was being clarified.

“It will have challenges for people outside the bubble participating in competition, but we are just working through that as we speak to understand what the requirements would be if people do live outside the bubble, travelling from NSW into Victoria and vice versa,” he said.

“At this point we are planning to continue as per our fixture, obviously abiding by all the restrictions that are in place and Covid guidelines for hosting events.”

Murray Football League manager Dale Norman said that league was “forging ahead” and only had one game scheduled in NSW this weekend, with Finley hosting Mulwala.

“The restrictions aren’t that bad that we can’t go ahead so we will proceed as normal,” he said. “There is scope to change the venue (for the Finley match) and use a Victorian venue on a Sunday, or even Saturday, but at this stage we’ve got no plans to do so.”

Norman said the league was concerned that “at any moment the Victorian Government may flick the switch and put a hard border on the region, which would shut us down”.

“If restrictions come in to cut crowds (in NSW) we would consider moving games, for sure,” he said.

Taylah Morris, who manages the Central Murray and Golden Rivers leagues, said the current restrictions were more likely to affect any social functions clubs had planned rather than games.

“We’ll wait to find out anything from NSW Government or AFL Vic or whoever needs to give us that information, but at this stage it should be fine to go ahead as normal unless things change.”