Reopening ‘one step closer’
Sports fans who want to support their favourite team this summer will have to be vaccinated.
The government yesterday announced that vaccine certificates will be required to access venues and events under the new Covid-19 green-orange-red traffic light system.
The new framework will come into place once local District Health Boards have reached 90 per cent vaccination rate, with the government reviewing the strategy in late November. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said those who want to get out and about this summer need to be vaccinated.
‘‘If you want a summer . . . If you want to go to . . . a sports event, get vaccinated. If you are not vaccinated, there will be everyday things you will miss out on,’’ she said.
Eden Park chief executive Nick Sautner welcomed the announcement, as it brings the venue ‘‘one step closer to reopening for events’’. Eden Park will host three major women’s World Cups – cricket, rugby and football – in the next three years.
He said the health and safety of Eden Park patrons ‘‘always remain our priority’’ but said the ground is still working through processes on how and where vaccination certificates will be displayed.
At 31, trainer Jamie Richards makes most people seem like under-achievers.
The Matamata horseman has 47 Group I wins to his name and will send out a live chance in the A$5 million Group I Cox Plate (2040m) today for the third year in succession.
Four-time Group I winner Probabeel will represent Richards for a second year and the mare should get a much better surface than the soft7 that thwarted her 12 months ago, when seventh.
‘‘It is incredibly difficult to have a runner in a major like the Cox Plate for the third year in a row,’’ Richards said.
‘‘We are just lucky we have David [Ellis, Te Akau principal] buying the horses and then syndicating them and then we have people like Brendan and Jo Lindsay [of Cambridge Stud] who send them to us to train.
‘‘It is a big stable and a big process, it doesn’t just happen overnight, a lot of planning and effort goes into it. We are proud that we have produced Te Akau Shark and Probabeel and hopefully Probabeel can run really well on the
Checking certificates at the gate could increase queues and entry wait times, so he is looking abroad to see how over event providers have implemented the vaccine certificate mandate.
The Basin Reserve is hosting the opening round of the Plunket Shield domestic cricket competition this weekend between Wellington and Otago. As Wel- lington is still under Covid-19 alert level 2, fans are not required to show their vaccine status, but will be required to wear a mask and social distance.
Under current guidelines, Cricket Wellington has not mandated vaccinations for staff, players or contractors, but under the new framework, that is set to change.
Cricket Wellington chief executive Cam Mitchell said anyone coming into the venue will need to adhere to vaccination certificate requirements.
‘‘It helps us build towards a great summer. Obviously it could be an exciting opportunity for people to be out, safe at the Basin Reserve, enjoying cricket,’’ weekend.
‘‘I followed the Cox Plate closely growing up and it is one of the pin-up races in Australasia. Te Akau Shark ran brilliantly when he ran third in 2019 and if the rain hadn’t arrived last year, I think Probabeel would have run a lot closer. We just have to hope we don’t get the rain and we can be running on a nice dry track on Saturday.
‘‘It was pretty deflating when the rain came in both last year’s Cox Plate and again in the All-Star Mile for Probabeel as so much thought and effort and planning had gone into it from the whole team, only to have it undone by nature.’’
There is a quiet sense of confidence in the Probabeel camp, with a feeling the mare is peaking for the race, albeit fingers are crossed that the showers forecast don’t amount to much.
A last start winner of the Group I Might And Power (2000m), downing subsequent Group I Caulfield Cup (2400m) runner-up Nonconformist, Probabeel is rated a $16 chance, with the market headed by Zaaki ($2.70), who finished nearly two lengths behind Probabeel in third last start.
‘‘She is going to have to put in a he said.
Mitchell said he’s still working through guidelines with Sport NZ and New Zealand Cricket regarding how the new mandate will impact community and club level cricket.
The International Cricket Council is keeping a close eye on developments as the Women’s World Cup, hosted by New Zealand, is only five months away. ICC’s Claire Furlong said the organisation has an independent Bio-Security Advisory Committee that provides guidance in all Covid-related issues.
She said the ICC takes the lead from authorities in determining entry to major cricket events, including the current T20 World Cup being played in the United Arab Emirates. Fans attending games in Oman and Abu Dhabi must be vaccinated while those in Dubai and Sharjah do not need to be. Under the new traffic-light system in New Zealand, fans attending World Cup venues will have to present vaccine certificates.
Many elite level athletes have already been vaccinated. Those who represented on Probabeel
career best performance to be competitive,’’ Richards said. ‘‘Hopefully, she is somewhere near that. I like the fact she is going to be fifth-up. She has had that hard, tough run over 2000m at Caulfield under her belt which should stand her in good stead.
‘‘I don’t think we need to rush her too much early from barrier 7, we can just let her find a bit of a rhythm.
New Zealand’s other representative is Callsign Mav which is having its first start in Australia after winning the first two Group I races at Hastings this term before flying to Melbourne.
While Probabeel will be contesting a time-honoured race in Melbourne, stablemate Entriviere will line up in the inaugural A$2 million The Invitation
New Zealand at the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics were required to receive the vaccine.
The White Ferns, and Black Caps, who won the World Test Championship in June and are currently in the UAE for the T20 World Cup, have all been vaccinated. The All Blacks received the Covid-19 vaccine ahead of the Bledisloe Cup in August. The Black Ferns were vaccinated before leaving for their European tour.
At a community level, no community sport can go ahead under the current Covid alert level 3. However, for those in Level 2, Sport NZ guidelines states community sporting events are considered a gathering and the 100-person limit applies. Sport facilities are also meant to display tracing QR codes.
A Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet spokesperson said consultation with a ‘‘wide range of people’’ including the sport sector will occur, with more details on the new framework’s implementation being released by November.
Tennis New Zealand chief executive Julie Paterson said the new mandate is nuanced, and is seeking more guidance on how it might apply to tennis clubs. She said since tennis is an outdoor game, social distancing is possible, and the sport can be played without people entering clubrooms.
Coaches going into schools are covered by the mandate for those in education to be vaccinated, Education Minister Chris Hipkins said. (1400m) at Randwick less than half an hour after the Cox Plate.
The five-year-old daughter of Tavistock has won six of her nine starts and has never finished out of the placings.
Successful in the Group II Sheraco Stakes (1200m) fresh-up, Entriviere got back to last and raced wide when third in the Group II Golden Pendant (1400m) four weeks ago, before an eye-catching trial since. ‘‘Everything has gone according to plan. She has had a good preparation for The Invitation and that nice quiet trial kept her ticking over,’’ Richards said.
‘‘She is capable on dry but effective on wet and I think there is going to be some give in the track. I’m just hoping she can run up to her best form, which the way she has been going we are hopeful she can.’’
Richards said the mare would likely head for a break after the race, where she will likely start from barrier nine of 12. The Invitation has been circled as the target since the new race was announced, with Richards confident the mare will have plenty of future opportunities to add a Group I to her CV.