The Cobar Camels will be required to linger a bit longer in limbo with plans for a Western Plains Rugby 2020 season still yet to be decided.
Club president Jarrod Marsden said while the NSW Government last week gave the clearance for community sport to return on July 1, there are a few roadblocks that still need to be overcome before a 2020 Western Plains Rugby season can go ahead.
“The only guidance we have from
NSW Rugby is that they
are saying there must be three weeks of full contact training or two weeks and
a trial game/knockout
prior to starting a competition.
“They have also advised that any type of season would carry with it the full rates for registration and insurances, no discount for a shortened season,” Marsden said.
He said as yet there has been not a lot of information given about any modifications to the game, the crowd numbers that will be permitted to attend and the hygiene practices that will need to be implemented.
“Nyngan and Gulargambone had last week pulled out of season 2020, but they are holding extraordinary meetings to potentially reconsider,” Marden said.
Western Plains Zone Rugby president Peter Holcolme has called a meeting of all club presidents in Nevertire this Saturday and Marsden said he’ll be there with an open mind.
He said the Cobar committee is of the opinion the 2020 season will more than likely be abandoned following their club committee meeting on Sunday to discuss the various logistics, controls and potential limitations that will need to be put in place.
“As I see it we have three choices to contemplate,” Marsden told the Cobar committee.
He said it could be there will be no
season this year; it would be a season that runs until October or November; or 2020 could be played as a severely shortened season.
Marsden said the Cobar club had more to lose than other Western Plains clubs if a 2020 season doesn’t go ahead.
“Cobar is the only club which owns its own field. All other clubs play on council ovals meaning they if we miss a season they incur no costs, whereby we still have to pay to maintain our facilities,” he said.
And with the cancellation of this year’s Louth Races announced last week, the
Camels have lost a great deal of revenue which is earned by manning the Louth Races bar.
“We also have a good looking playing group with some new faces this year so we were really looking forward
