League players stranded

Coast clubs wait for stars after border closure

AT least seven Rugby League Gold Coast A Grade players have been trapped outside of Australia with no ability to return since the Federal Government closed the border on March 20.

Four players from the Runaway Bay Seagulls, including former captain Tane-James Rapira, have been stranded across New Zealand and the Cook Islands.

A further three players from the Ormeau Shearers are in lockdown in New Zealand and Papua New Guinea.

Runaway Bay A Grade regulars Rapira and Ayden Kapi returned home to New Zealand when the COVID-19 outbreak began but were booked to return to the Gold Coast before the border closed.

Club recruits, including Cook Islands international Tevin Arona and Zion Kamama from New Zealand, were also caught out by the sudden change.

Ormeau coach Peri Creamer said three of his club’s 2020 recruitment class, most notably former Sunshine Coast Falcons forward Jordan Hall, would be unavailable until the border reopened.

The same applied for the Seagulls.

“That’s definitely been disappointing for us because they were guys I was looking forward to having time with this season,” Seagulls coach Nick Gleeson said.

“Tane has wanted to come over since October last year but was hanging out until the season started because he had a good job back home, then he’d come over and footy money would make the difference until he got a job here.

“Tevin was going to be a big signing for us because he’d only just come over to advance his rugby league career after playing for Cook Islands in the World 9s.

“He came over to play with Redcliffe but he didn’t like it. His uncle is an assistant coach here so he wanted to play over our way.

“They’d all be in our first grade side so that’s disappointing but we’ve got plenty of young fellas now the state under-20s competition is shut down.

“It’ll be exciting for us to see some juniors come back and we’ll see what they can do because we want our juniors graduating through to first grade.”