25 Mar COVID-19 Update: 25 March
The Sydney University Hockey Club committee met on the weekend via video conference to discuss the future of the season and our club. In alignment with Hockey NSW and NSW Department of Health, all hockey training has been cancelled until further notice. This includes the Premier Squad individual sessions and the High Performance gym sessions.
It is important to note that the season is not cancelled and we are still intending to play. It is still unknown if the season will be extended beyond September over 18 rounds or if it will be shortened to finish in September as originally planned.
Staying Fit and Healthy
We encourage our members to maintain their fitness, which can be done through at-home workouts, socially distanced running and cycling, as well as hockey specific skills activities. Hockey New South Wales have launched a “Fitness, Skills & Trick Shots” program to keep players’ skills in top notch during the #hockeyhibernation period. Follow @hockeynewsouthwales and @sydunihockey on Instagram for the daily challenges.
State Championship Cancellations
Hockey NSW has an important responsibility to assist with reducing the risk of infection and continue to hold the health of players, officials and staff as their highest priority. For this reason, they have announced the cancellation of several State Championships:
- Over 35/55 Men’s Masters 3-5 April
- Over 40/45 Men’s Masters 1-3 May
- Under 18 Boys 15-17 May
- Under 18 Girls 22-24 May
- Under 15 Boys 29-31 May
- Open Men 6-8 June
- Open Women 6-8 June
- Under 15 Girls 19-21 June
- Under 13 Girls 2-5 July
- Under 13 Boys 9-12 July
- Women’s Masters 24-26 July
National Championship Cancellations
Hockey Australia have confirmed all National Championships for this year have been cancelled, but re-emphasises a commitment for local competitions to take place at some stage in 2020. Hockey Australia National Events cancelled for 2020:
- Under 13 Championships
- Under 15 Championships
- Under 18 Championships
- Under 21 Championships
- Country Championships
- Women’s and Men’s Masters Championships
FAQs
The SUHC committee and Hockey NSW have answered some Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs):
Will registration fees be refunded?
It is important to note that the season has been delayed NOT cancelled. We intend to return to the season at some point, however there is the possibility that it will not run or be run in a shorter format. We are not in a position to know the final outcome at this point and will address fees and refunds when we know the outcome of the season. Therefore, SUHC and Hockey NSW have not made a decision on refunds at this point in time.
Given the situation with COVID-19 continues to evolve and change rapidly, a decision on registration fees will be made once a full understanding of the impact of COVID-19 is available. This will occur in consultation with NSW Government and HNSW’s advice. The patience and understanding of members in the interim as we deal with these unprecedented events is appreciated.
Will the season be extended due to the delayed start?
This will be a decision for each individual club, association and competition body and will depend on individual circumstances. It may be beneficial for Clubs and Associations to start investigating what options are available particularly if you are accessing a local government managed facility.
Can we keep running hockey if Hockey NSW advises not to?
Whilst each club, association and competition body are responsible for making its own decisions, Hockey NSW strongly recommends all hockey activities are suspended until 2 May 2020.
The Hockey NSW advice has been the result of considerable consultation with relevant expert bodies and places the health and wellbeing of our hockey community and the broader public as the number one priority. Hockey NSW is also very conscious that our sport is a genuine family sport involving multiple generations of players, volunteers and supporters that includes a number of at-risk populations including the elderly.
Further Information
National Coronavirus Health Information Hotline: 1800 020 080
NSW Department of Health Website: https://www.health.nsw.gov.au/
Australian Government Department of Health: https://www.health.gov.au/news/health-alerts/novelcoronavirus2019-ncov-health-alert
Australian Institute of Sport: https://ais.gov.au/health-wellbeing/covid-19
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