Virus impact delays winter sports events

As large gatherings across the country are cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic, sport is also taking a hit.

Sport Tasman chief executive Nigel Muir said they were taking the lead of the Ministry of Health and Sport New Zealand.

Local secondary schools athletics managed to go ahead on Tuesday, but this week’s Muddy Buddy run had to be cancelled, Muir said.

‘‘At this stage local events are happening where they can,’’ he said.

He said national sport codes were making decisions about individual sports.

‘‘It’s such a fast changing situation, there’s updates multiple times a day so it’s such a hard thing to predict,’’ Muir said.

He stressed that Sport Tasman was actively trying to find ways to keep people fit, compared to usual traditional sports which was important as more codes cancelled or postponed team sports.

Marlborough Football general manager Andrea Smith-scott said the club was working to extend the season by a few weeks at the other end, so competitions could continue.

All of the club’s competitions had been postponed until May 2, and all club trainings were to resume after April 18.

All Marlborough Football programmes, Futsal, NZF Football Skills Centres, Tasman United Academy, and holiday programmes were cancelled and would resume in Term 2, from April 28.

‘‘It’s disappointing it’s hit the grass roots so quickly, but it’s probably the wisest decision, so it can be contained as quickly as possible . . . and we can totally understand why,’’ Smith-scott said.

Other major sports with delayed season start dates included netball and rugby, with basketball going ahead as normal, although a ‘‘have-a-go’’ day had been cancelled. On Tuesday, Netball New Zealand and New Zealand Rugby announced the decision to postpone the seasons in response to Covid-19.

Community rugby will return in midapril, netball in May. These announcements will affect nearly 300,000 people across the two codes.

New Zealand Cricket had brought an early end to the season at all levels.

Marlborough Cricket Association general manager Ed Gilhooly said they hads cancelled all remaining games and programmes for summer due to the ‘‘ongoing health situation’’.

This included the 2nd Grade Challenge Cup final, age group development games, Yeah Girls Hubs, Superstar Academy Programme and school visits scheduled for term 1, he said.