Central North Rugby Union president Tony Byrnes says the best scenario they can probably hope for is a one round competition and can't do any more than just "wait and see".
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
In what is an unprecedented step, it means the start of the Central North competition will be delayed at least a month (it was slated to kick off on April 5).
"We've probably had games interfered with by a flood but we've never had a competition not proceed," Byrnes said.
He was though supportive of the decision.
"The fundamental issue is the health and well being of people," he said.
"We don't want people to be exposed."
The hope is to run a modified season after the suspension is lifted, which is at this stage May 2.
Wary however of the ever-changing nature of the epidemic, Byrnes said they haven't really looked at how a modified competition might look.
"We haven't gone down that path at all," he said.
"If we start making plans at all about a modified competition, the way this thing is evolving we might find they extend the ban."
"We just have to wait and see."
READ ALSO:
As it is, he said the competition wouldn't kick off on May 2.
"If the ARU says we're right to go we might find we go into a training mode and look at a comp further down the track," he said.
"You've got to remember clubs can't train. You can't say the ban is over we're playing the next week."
"The best we can expect, if at all possible, is one round."
"But that again is dependent on everything."
The local competition isn't Byrnes only concern. The NSW Country Championships, which the zone is set to host in June, are also in jeopardy.
The tournament is scheduled to be played in Tamworth on June 6 and 7 - the week before the NSW Public Health Order prohibiting mass gatherings of more than 500 people expires (it ends at midnight on June 16).
At this stage the championships haven't been cancelled, and Byrnes is in almost daily consultation with NSW Rugby development manger for the North West and New England Garry Walsh.
The ARU announcement came a day after the historic Super Rugby clash between the NSW Waratahs and Bulls in Tamworth was cancelled after the season was suspended.
"It was disappointing," Byrnes said.
The first time that Tamworth has hosted a Super Rugby game, the event was expected to bring thousands of rugby fans to town.
Byrnes was also looking forward to watching the Kookaburras go round against arch-rivals New England with the two set to play as a curtain raiser to the Waratahs clash.
"We thought we'd still run that but we pulled the pin on that on Monday," he said.
