Schoolboy rugby under threat
New Zealand Cricket may get off lightest of the major sporting codes in coming months, even as cancellation of White Ferns and Black Caps winter tours becomes more likely.
The biggest financial hit may be taken by the country’s leading players such as Kane Williamson and Trent Boult as they await news on the lucrative Indian Premier League which has already been delayed.
Purely by coincidence, the coronavirus crisis escalated at the end of the cricket season which saw the final two rounds of Plunket Shield cancelled, and next week’s three Twenty20 internationals against Australia postponed to ‘‘a more appropriate date’’.
Aside from heightened travel restrictions and health risks of airports, flights and hotels, those cancellations meant cost savings for NZC on flights and accommodation, with the hope the T20s can be played next summer.
Otherwise, unless the top players make themselves available for club cricket which tentatively remains on as scheduled this weekend, that’s it for the 2019-20 season.
The country’s 96 domestically contracted men’s players receive retainers for 71⁄2months until April 15, while the 20 contracted Black Caps and 17 contracted White Ferns are paid year-round, with match fees on top.
When the two international sides play again is the big question.
The White Ferns, fresh off a disappointing show at the Twenty20 World Cup and now counting down to hosting the 50-over version early next year, are scheduled to tour Sri Lanka in May. That is likely to be cancelled, although NZC and Sri Lanka are yet to discuss it.
After the Black Caps’ eightweek annual leave period to free them up for the IPL, they’re
Some of the country’s rising rugby stars face the prospect of playing in front of nobody this season – or potentially not playing at all.
The effects of coronavirus on the sports world is not limited to the professional ranks, with Auckland’s coveted first XV schoolboy rugby competition facing potential suspension.
College Sport Auckland is scrambling to cancel much of its summer sports events across 110 Auckland schools, including athletics, cricket and touch football.
But Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern’s announcement that all large events of more than 500 scheduled to visit Scotland, Ireland, the Netherlands and West Indies from early June in preparation for the Twenty20 World Cup in Australia, starting in October.
That tour looks under increasing threat, too, with NZC saying it is keeping a ‘‘watching brief’’ on the world situation with a slew of top-level sport on hold.
If both White Ferns and Black Caps tours were called off, NZC would save an estimated $1 million. The potential hit for the governing body will be if the crisis extends into spring, when the first tours of a packed season are pencilled in for October.
Under the Future Tours Programme, Bangladesh and West Indies are scheduled to visit New Zealand for T20 internationals ahead of the T20 World Cup.
That is when Spark’s new television broadcast deal for New Zealand’s home internationals people should be cancelled could have ripple effects felt into the winter sports season too.
In Auckland, a first XV rugby match can attract a crowd anywhere north of 4000 people.
College Sport chief executive Jim Lonergan said all options for the competition are being considered, including suspending the start of the season.
The first XV season is scheduled to kick off on May 2.
Should the restrictions on large gatherings continue into May and beyond, it could have a massive impact on kids wanting to further their rugby careers beyond school, coaches said.
One first XV coach Stuff spoke to, who for now wanted to remain
kicks in, with overseas rights to those inbound tours also a revenue stream.
As it stands, NZC is heavily funded by the ICC which in turn trickles down to the six major associations. Payments in the eight-year broadcast deal until 2023 are back-ended, with larger amounts expected this year and next with T20 World Cups in 2020 and 2021 (in India).
Meanwhile the top cricketers face uncertainty over overseas deals. Six New Zealanders – Williamson, Boult, Lockie Ferguson, Mitchell Santner, Jimmy Neesham and Mitchell McClenaghan – are contracted to IPL sides, with that tournament start already delayed from March 29 until April 15.
Others, including Matt Henry, Hamish Rutherford, Corey Anderson, Santner and Neesham have deals with English county sides for part of the season amid major uncertainty over sport in the UK.
England’s cricket season is scheduled to start early next month, with the reporting it could be extended as late as October if it means fitting in delayed matches. anonymous, said the pandemic restrictions could be the difference between getting a professional rugby contract or not.
‘‘These days first XV rugby, particularly in Auckland, is the premier pathway into the professional fold.
‘‘But scouts and managers have to be able to watch the kids play in order to sign them,’’ he said.
‘‘Obviously the health and safety of everyone is paramount, but the impact [suspending the season or playing behind closed doors] could have on these kids in their final year of school is huge.’’
School Sports NZ has halted all major events, including rowing’s Maadi Cup.
This story was originally published on LockerRoom.co. nz and is republished with permission.
In the northern Italian city of Parma, Cathrine Tuivaiti, her rugby playing husband Jimmy, and their baby son, Bash, have found themselves part of a nationwide lockdown.
‘‘It’s scary,’’ the former Silver Fern admits. But she also welcomes the drastic measures put in place to fight the spread of Covid-19 – now the global pandemic has claimed more than 1000 lives in Italy.
‘‘Everyone needs to stay indoors. Slowly in our town it’s getting stricter and it’s gone from ‘Don’t leave your house’, to now ‘We’ll check to see you’re not in the streets’,’’ she says.
‘‘What Italy have done is out the gate; it’s outrageous. They have literally stopped the country, but I commend them for trying something.’’
Tuivaiti – who gave birth to Bash, their first child, in October – has a message for the Kiwi public
‘‘I’m often terrified of the world I’ve brought him into.’’ Cathrine Tuivati
on her baby son Bash
who aren’t experiencing the living restrictions they are.
‘‘New Zealand could take it more seriously at the moment,’’ she says.
‘‘Maintaining cleanliness is key. It’s obviously spreading like wildfire. I can see the jokes on this side of the world and I get it because I have a sense of humour, but we are stuck in something that is really scary, so respect it a little bit more I think.’’
Jimmy Tuivaiti plays in the Italian rugby team as part of the Six Nations – their games among many around the world to have been suspended and or cancelled.
The Italian union has kept him well informed of the virus and measures to stay healthy.
With Italy’s last two games of the competition, against Ireland and England, postponed, he hopes