Covid-19 support funding for sports
While sports have been put on hold for many during the Covid-19 pandemic, much needed funding up to $40,000 will be available for local groups to help support their operations.
Sports New Zealand announced a $25 million package to support community sport in which $15 million had been allocated to 14 regional sports trusts through a community resilience fund.
Sports Southland has been allocated $327,000 through the fund to support sports clubs and regional bodies that have taken a financial hit by Covid-19 restrictions.
Clubs will be eligible for funding up to $1000 and regional sports bodies up to $40,000.
Sports Southland chief executive Brendon McDermott said the funding was not about long-term recovery but short-term survival.
For a small club, the funding may help pay costs for building leases and electricity bills that they could be struggling with, McDermott said.
Rugby Southland general manager Steve Mitchell said staff were looking into the possibilities of applying for the fund.
The organisation had taken a hit in funding from New Zealand Rugby and its community partnerships so the support would help in difficult times, Mitchell said.
There was a lot of uncertainty with New Zealand Rugby funding and sponsors were also feeling the financial impact of Covid-19 in their own businesses, so any amount of support would help with the sustainability of the organisation, he said.
Netball South chief executive Lana Winders said it was going through the process to see if it would be eligible for the funding.
The funding was a good initiative for sporting bodies struggling with the immediate financial impacts of Covid-19 but there needed to be longer term solutions, Winders said.
Its financial assessment suggests the organisation would be able to get through this year but there was financial uncertainty for the following year, she said.
Netball South were fortunate to receive its funding from its main financial partners, such as the Invercargill Licensing Trust and Community Trust South, before Covid19 but acknowledged they would be going through hardships themselves which could limit future funding, she said.
Winders confirmed the Southern Steel would be taking part in the ANZ Premiership Netball League, without crowds, once it was allowed to do so.
‘‘It’s very exciting and there has been some real good work achieved between Netball NZ and the Government to find a pathway for this to happen.’’
There would still be a loss of revenue from ticketing and hospitality but the club had already made the necessary wage cuts and had the funding support to make the season happen, Winders said.
Mitchell said there would likely be a Mitre 10 Cup after the Investec Super Rugby season but negotiations were ongoing with the New Zealand Rugby Players Association between New Zealand Rugby and the provincial bodies before it happened.
‘‘As soon as we get the go ahead we will be kicking it off,’’ Mitchell said.