Cambridge footballers will need the Waikato to move to alert level 2 before they can complete their winter season.
The COVID-19 lockdown forced the suspension of the season for Cambridge Football Club’s 750 junior and senior players, some of whom were within a week of completing their competition fixtures.
The situation varies for teams in different competitions:
- The Reds, who play in the Lotto NRFL second division, can only complete their fixtures if Auckland moves to level 2 as three of their four remaining games require travel between Cambridge and Auckland.
- Cambridge’s third team have one remaining fixture in the WaiBOP Championship but their nearest rivals for the title, Tauranga Old Blues, have three games outstanding. To complete the season, Old Blues will need three weeks at level 2.
- Cambridge’s women’s team were due to play their last Waikato Women’s League division 2 fixture when the season was suspended. The competiton can be decided with one round of play under level 2.
- Junior football was due to end on September 5. WaiBOP Football has yet to decide on whether the season can be extended.
All games under level 2 would require caps of 100 per gathering.
Meanwhile, Cambridge’s plans to host two regional football events are in doubt.
The finals of the men’s and women’s Waikato Cup and Plate were due to be hosted at John Kerkhof Park over the weekend of September 18-19.
However, the moves to levels 4 and 3 have prevented the competitions from reaching their semi-final stages meaning that, at best, the finals will be postponed and would require the region to be at alert level 1 to enable gatherings of the size required.
On October 2, Cambridge FC plan to host an over-40s tournament, involving teams from Auckland and Northland. The tournament will require level 1 conditions to go ahead.
