Familiar story as events cancelled

THREE events have fallen and DDay is pending for others.

The now all too familiar rush of cancellations due to Covid19 restrictions and the ongoing lockdown in Auckland have hit New Zealand sport this week.

Golf, hockey and ice hockey were all among those to feel the pandemic’s latest sting.

The New Zealand Amateur Golf Championships, which were to be held at the Otago Golf Club from November 37, will not be going ahead.

Otago will retain hosting rights for the championships next year.

It is the first time Golf New Zealand’s oldest championship, first played in 1893, has not been played since World War 2.

The National Ice Hockey

League has also announced the cancellation of its playoffs.

Its trophy will go unawarded, as the league regulations state it can only be presented to a team which has won a finals series.

That comes after Queenstown’s Stampede completed the most dominant regular season in league history, winning all available points.

The National Hockey Championships have also been cancelled.

The tournament had already been postponed to be held on November 1420.

Hockey New Zealand decided those dates were now unworkable due to the ongoing lockdown in Auckland, combined with the need to give those teams a chance to return to play.

They are the first of what could be several events to fall.

The women’s National Basketball League remains in limbo, having been on hold since playing its first round prior to the lockdown break.

A decision will be made by Thursday as to whether it restarts.

The women’s National Football Premiership is also awaiting a decision on whether it will go ahead.

It has already been divided into northern and southern hubs.

Whether those will be played is to be decided by the start of November.

Cricket’s Plunket Shield is set to begin next weekend, although it will be without Auckland for the first two weeks.

Whether that will be extended is dependent on restrictions as well.