Passing training will be allowed, but not tackling, for Napier Marist. Photo / File
Passing training will be allowed, but not tackling, for Napier Marist. Photo / File
Pass the ball and work on your fitness, but whatever you do, make sure you don't tackle.
That's how one amateur Hawke's Bay football club is set to start training under level 2 restrictions.
But despite professional sport being given the go ahead for new seasons, there remains an asterisknext to club sport and when training could translate into games.
Napier Marist FC chairman Chris Guillemot said the club's senior teams will be heading back to training next week, but by adhering to restrictions trainings are going to look very different.
He said that with no more than 10 people able to gather together they are splitting players into groups of nine with a coach and will only run passing and fitness drills where players stay apart and follow social distancing rules.
Each player who is registered with the club and wants to play also has to register under a new contact-tracing system in order to be able to train and later play.
"It's all going to be very different this season, like a moving target we don't really know what to expect for the upcoming season."
He said while he was confident the senior teams would have a season this year, with many of the players in the club's top two sides eager to get back on the field, he wasn't yet sure how the junior grades were going to work out.
"For the senior teams it's easier to work out a schedule and maybe having to work out the odd night games during the week, but for the junior grades the gathering size will be a bigger issue," he said.
"Just looking at what a normal Saturday morning down at Park Island is like with all sorts of kids' sports on there, it is hundreds of people there.
"So it's something Central Football will have to look into to see if it can work."
Hawke's Bay rugby clubs are eager to get back into training but have to wait until May 25 to see when that will happen. Photo / File
Rugby clubs are facing even more of a struggle to get back into things.
Hastings Rugby and Sports Club administrator Jack Sanders said it was working on getting a plan together on how they will operate.
But for all community rugby clubs across the country they have to wait until after May 25 to see if they can get back into training, he said.
"The aim is to try to have the season start up by the end of June, but what that will look like at the moment is anyone's guess."
One thing that both agreed is going to be a big issue for all sports clubs around the region is the financial impact the new-look season will have.
"Things are going to get tight for many clubs because with no clubrooms able to open and with limited spectators able to watch, clubs are going to struggle to get money in the door while still having to pay ground fees and everything else on top of that," Guillemot said.
"But I'm confident all of these clubs will be able to get back on the field once again next year as well."
