Corona Virus: Event cancellations
Formula One
Australian Formula 1 Grand Prix – entire event now cancelled.
Cricket
Australia v New Zealand T20 games in Sydney and Hobart to be played behind shut gates – no spectators to be admitted.
The final round of the Sheffield Shield competition is currently still going ahead.
NRL
No announcement as yet regarding any changes to crowd arrangements.
AFL
No announcement as yet regarding AFLW matches scheduled to start tonight. Richmond player Lauren Tesoriero is currently in preventative isolation. She is not displaying symptoms, but has a housemate that recently returned from Japan.
No announcement as yet regarding Round 1 of the men’s competition, scheduled to begin next Thursday night. In a possible hint to AFL HQ, Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews has expressed “frustration” at the lack of clarification on AFL intentions to Round 1.
NBA
As announced yesterday, the NBA ic suspended until further notice.
EPL
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has tested positive for the coronavirus. In light of the news, their Saturday match with Brighton and Hove Albion will be postponed. Members of Arsenal team and staff are self-isolating.
Feel free to add any other developments you are aware of in comments.
Watch this space…..
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Would love for the final round of the Sheffield Shield competition to be cancelled. This would put the Vics into the final. Not bad, considering they were on the bottom just three short weeks ago.
Update on the EPL now included above. Take note, Arsenal fans.
Thoughts on AFL/AFLW? Games or not? Crowds or not?
Zero mention on the AFL or AFLW websites or socials as yet about what is proposed for the AFLW games that begin tonight. Surely an announcement must be pending.
At least the NRL site says they are awaiting government guidance.
At this stage all A-Legue games are to proceed as scheduled. Pending further government advice.
It is now being reported that government advice is now to ban all gatherings over 500 people. Stand by for cancellation announcements from sporting leagues.
St Kilda Football Club has sent their CEO Matt Finnis’ message to members. Here is what he had to pay:
I wanted to take this opportunity to provide an update on your club’s response to the current situation regarding COVID-19.
We know that we are far from alone in dealing with challenges presented by the virus and that you are almost certainly confronting issues within your own workplaces, schools and various other sporting and community groups.
We also know that this is a rapidly changing environment and there are some measures proposed should the threat of infection increase, that we haven’t dealt with previously.
The potential for government containment measures to restrict fans attending sporting events is real as evidenced by the impact to the Australian Grand Prix this weekend and something which the AFL industry is preparing for right now.
As you would expect, at St Kilda we are undertaking a great deal of contingency planning to be prepared for such an unprecedented situation, with a key focus on understanding and addressing the impact on you, our loyal members and supporters who remain at the forefront of everything we do.
Your passion, loyalty and commitment has, as of yesterday, driven us beyond last year’s total of 43,000 members.
The importance of this support cannot be overstated as we prepare for the challenges we may face in the coming months.
We will continue to update you as we receive greater clarity on how containment measures will impact the club, and at the appropriate time, endeavour to answer any questions you may have.
For now, we have listened to the advice provided by the AFL, the relevant health authorities and our club medical officers, and taken steps to reduce the risk of infection for our players and staff.
Unfortunately, this involves limiting the physical interaction our players and coaches have with people internal and external to the club, including our thousands of members at training sessions, games and other events.
We ask for your understanding as we take these precautions to ensure our players (men and women) have the best chance of taking the field in full health.
We will absolutely provide as much access as possible through our digital channels, and as soon as possible, resume our normal practices.
Our 2020 call to arms – “Together We Rise” – has never been more apt as it will take all of us to work together to rise above the challenges we are facing as a Club, a Game and a Community.
Thank you for your ongoing support.
Take care.
Then Cricket Australia has emailed me with following details of on going cricket matches:
As a loyal ACF member, we wanted to personally let you know of the decisions we have taken today in light of the global coronovirus pandemic in the interests of health and safety of fans and players:
Men’s International: The three-match Gillette One-Day International series against New Zealand will proceed as scheduled, however fans will not be admitted into the venue. Fans will be able to watch the series on Fox Cricket on Foxtel or Kayo.
Women’s International: Australia’s three-match One-Day International and three-match Twenty20 International Qantas tour of South Africa has been suspended until further notice.
Men’s Domestic: The remaining games of the Marsh Sheffield Shield will proceed as scheduled.
We understand these changes will impact and disappoint many, but hope fans understand that public health and safety issues caused by the coronavirus must take priority over sport at this time.
Seems strange that it (gatherings over 500) is only a recommendation at this stage and doesn’t start until Monday. This Virus cannot be stopped but slowing the spread places less strain on our hospitals and medical staff. Make it a ban. Start tomorrow. AFL (and other codes) please don’t wait to be asked. Either ban the crowds or cancel games and do it now. This is not panic or knee-jerk, it is smart. Be upfront and tell the truth, we can handle it. I am a Lions member and have already made the decision to not attend games until safe to to so.
Noticed at the cricket this afternoon. No crowds but the Security Guards nicely seated around the ground.
Is this to keep the players in?
Seriously though all major games/sports should still be played without people in attendance until the threat is over. NO one will miss games this way they can watch from the comfort of their home. Participants will be well looked after by their respective clubs and in particular by the AFL,
Just announced – no fans at AFLW games from tomorrow. So tonight’s ok?
The AFL can mix a message every bit as well as the PM.
What I find extremely strange is that if games go ahead without supporters, what about the players themselves? All sport with physical close contact (AFL, League and Rugby for instance) involves sweat, other excretions, and touching of areas we’ve been told are unwise to touch. The players surely would be highly vulnerable?
Yep Scummo advises as of Monday no more than 500 at an event. However he’s off to the rugby on Saturday. No mixed messages there.
If we’re talking cancellation, postponents i’m awaiting the AFL season.To my knowledge the only AFL game cancelled was following the murder of Phil Walsh, where Adelaide and Geelong got two points each. That was round 14, back in 2015.
We’ve had occasions of rescheduling, postponents. In the 1963 VFL season. Due to heavy rain and very cold weather Round 11 was postponed from July 13 to July 20. An interesting one is the Round 3 1988 clash between Brisbane and West Coast. Because of wet weather Brisbane’s home game was moved to Perth where they were caned by 118 points.
Any how these are interesting times. We’re off to the Berrigan races tomorrow. Hopefully they’re running.
Glen!
Jan, this is a reasonable point you make.
Damian Barrett reporting that Round 1 will go ahead with the gates locked. To be assessed as developments occur.
Great point, Jan. And it would have to play on the players minds, you’d think? A cough and a sneeze will evade more tackles than a blind turn.
Screw the footy … next weekend’s shield game is a lockout too! I would have been one of the die-hards at the enchanting Junction oval, had it not been the case. Alas, <500 is a number that even poorly supported shield cricket can't limbo under
“I would have been one of the die-hards at the enchanting Junction oval, had it not been the case” Got me past-present-future-WTFever tenses scrambled there. “I planned to be one of the die-hards at the enchanting Junction oval, were it not to be the case” Hm, better.
What Phil said. Flattening the curve of the infection rate is the only effective response in the short to medium term. Rory McIlroy put it well after the cancellation of US golf yesterday. “Today’s overreaction is tomorrow’s under reaction. I’d be fine but my mother has respiratory problems and there are hundreds of volunteers in their 60’s & 70’s helping us run every tournament. This is about protecting them.”
Governments around the world are responding to the wrong crisis. The world has become money mad. They think its GFC Mk2 so they throw confetti at runaway trains. The world is going to stop/dramatically slow down for a while, then hopefully resume at a saner pace.
This is AIDS Mk 2 albeit with a wider reach but less mortality (remember AIDS was more than just a gay disease). In the 80’s we used public health education to slow infection rates until treatments were developed. A pause to public events now won’t stop virus spread but it can keep it at a level where the health system can cope until treatments/vaccines are available.
Anyone going to mass events for a few months is being selfish and foolish.
Love the fact that the Tigers are going to wait to unfurl the flag with the fans. We’ll be with them in spirit on Thur but so sad to be missing the game. Can’t wait till all the Tigers are back together again. Yellow and black.
I actually wish we couldn’t have got to Berrigan races yesterday, even better if my horse hadn’t ran.
On a more positive note we stayed at Pinsents Hotel in Wangarratta last night. Always been a nice pub but was very impressed by their proactive response to Covid 19. Big signs about the appropriate precautions to take. Every overnight stay room has a poster on the door re the precautions to take. In the different bars there were bottles of disinfectant avaialble. I even noticed bar staff spraying, wiping down machines in the pokies room.
I’ll also mention Darebin RSL has a disinfectant bottle on the reception counter.
We’re heading into challenging times, with lots of unknowns. Important to get the right information out there in a comprehensive public health campaign.What we don’t need is more hysteria,panic, like the front page of the Murdoch rag telling people Victoria has only 2 weeks of food supplies, so stock up. FFS !!!
Glen!
The last round of Sheffield Shield fixtures has been cancelled, so now the question is whether or not the final (March 27-31) will go ahead.
Annoyed they are locking down the Shield matchas there would be plenty of room to get a few metres apart.
Could watch it through the fence!!!!