Decision time looms after announcement today
THE uncertainty over sport in the South lingers on but some certainty should arrive today.
Nothing has been cancelled — at this stage — as most of New Zealand remains in Alert Level 2.
Today will probably provide more answers as to whether events go ahead, as more testing results are processed from the latest community cases in Auckland and the Government reviews alert levels.
The national rowing championships remain the biggest casualty of the heightened alert levels.
Scheduled to begin yesterday at Lake Ruataniwha, the first two days of the regatta were suspended.
A threeday regatta, beginning tomorrow, remains the bestcase scenario beyond that.
It can go ahead under Level 2 with restrictions on movement of competitors and no spectators.
No training was done on the lake yesterday.
The South Island strokeplay championships at St Clair Golf Club are set to go ahead, the first round of four starting on Friday.
St Clair Golf Club professional Patrick Moore said after consulation with Golf New Zealand, a decision had been made to proceed with the tournament. A field of just under 70 may lose players who are coming from Auckland but it can still be held under Level 2.
More changes will have to be carried out to the course under Level 2 and there would be no spectators.
Challenge Wanaka would require a drop to Level 1 to go ahead.
The event issued a statement yesterday confirming it was still preparing for the event, which begins tomorrow and ends on Saturday with the main race which has attracted about 800 competitors.
Both the Highlanders and Otago Volts have games scheduled in Central Otago this week as well.
The Highlanders are set to play a preseason match against the Hurricanes in Alexandra on Friday night.
The Volts are due to meet Canterbury in Queenstown in oneday matches on both Friday and Saturday.
Whether those games go ahead remains uncertain. The Highlanders were expecting a big crowd to the match and would be reluctant to proceed if no spectators were allowed.
International cricket and netball matches remain on the agenda, although will be played without fans if Level 2 remains in place.
The Black Caps are set to play Australia in five twenty20s, beginning on Monday.
Dunedin will host the second match of that series next Thursday.
The White Ferns will also play in Dunedin next week, hosting England for two games, the first match on Friday week, followed by a second game two days later.
A New Zealand XI played England in a warmup match in an empty ground in Queenstown yesterday.
Meanwhile, Netball New Zealand confirmed the Constellation Cup series next month, between the Silver Ferns and Australia, would also be able to go ahead under Level 2.
The series will consist of two matches in Christchurch and two in Tauranga.
Auckland had intentionally been avoided as a host city due to Covid19 concerns. — Additional reporting Steve Hepburn