Hawke's Bay sports teams, including Havelock North Rugby Club, say the move to 100 people gatherings means full activities can recommence. Photo / File
Hawke's Bay sports teams, including Havelock North Rugby Club, say the move to 100 people gatherings means full activities can recommence. Photo / File
Sports teams across Hawke's Bay are eager to get back out on the field and into full swing.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern on Monday announced that community sport will begin to ease back to normal with the limits on social gatherings increased to 100 from midday on Friday.
Havelock NorthRugby Club chairman Matt Arcus said the move to allow 100 people means full training can recommence.
"This move means all of our senior teams can start training properly again with the view of playing games again by June 20," he said. "Everyone is pretty excited by that.
"From what we know, effectively full contact training can happen as long as we have proper hygiene processes of cleaning equipment and changing rooms, as well as contact tracing of all the players and coaches at training."
Hastings Boys' High School headmaster Robert Sturch said players at the school are yet to start team training and have been an individual training and fitness programmes.
"Contact and team training will commence next, with contact tracing in place for teams that are training," he said.
"It's important that schools support the rules around meetings, and there is plenty to do on an individual level prior to group training."
Sport Hawke's Bay chief executive Mark Aspden said playing matches in any sport was impossible under the former restrictions. Photo / File
Sport Hawke's Bay chief executive Mark Aspden said while some sports teams resumed training with the former 10-person limit, most sports training sessions were not the same with a limit of 10, and playing matches was impossible.
"This is massive for community sport," he said. "With 100, both those things can occur, and it means codes can now lock in competition start dates with confidence.
"That means they can now go full steam ahead to confirm ground and court booking, take entries, complete player registrations, arrange draws and the like."
Havelock North Wanderers said following the announcement, they are now in a position to hold open grade trials.
The trials, set to take place on May 30 at Guthrie Park, follow the recommencement of group training for senior teams at the club last week.
Napier Marist Football Club chairman Chris Guillemot said they too started training before the announcement.
"We have already begun training under the current rules in place in groups of 10, including a coach," he said.
"There are rules in place over what the players are and aren't allowed to do, but the coaches brief the players at each training session about that."
Guillemot added: "Central Football have arranged a call with all of the teams tonight to discuss the upcoming season's dates and confirmations, so we will know more after that."
A spokesman from Napier City Rovers said while the club is still awaiting official guidelines, full training and matches will be able to recommence while adhering to strict hygiene and contract tracing guidelines.
Aspden said while the move to 100 means players, coaches and parents can be present, not all sports facilities will benefit.
"For some sports it still won't be entirely business as usual – for instance indoor facilities have added complexities in terms of maintaining distances," he said.
"Given the uncertainty a couple of months ago though, as to whether there would be any sport at all this winter, this is a massive step forward."
