Major state sporting organisations in NSW have come together to provide a collaborative agreement for community sport across the state.
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Cricket NSW, NSW Rugby League, Football NSW, NSW Rugby Union and AFL NSW/ACT have agreed a clear delineation between the summer sport of cricket and the winter football codes for shared grounds and facilities.
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The agreement seeks a simplified and united consensus for NSW winter sport community competitions to conclude no later than October 11, and for community cricket competitions to conclude no later than April 5, 2021. That includes finals.
The sports have taken a united approach in response to the impact of COVID-19 restrictions delaying the start of the 2020 winter sport competitions.
The agreement acknowledges that the participants will continue to work together to manage exceptions to ground access and the agreed season changeovers, particularly with regard to the conduct of higher-level, premier and state representative sport competitions.
The agreement does not apply if there is no cross over between the winter sports and cricket at a particular sporting facility.
"This show of unity and collaboration comes during a period of dramatic impact for sport in our State," the CEOs of the aforementioned organisation said in a joint statement.
"In NSW, bushfires, smoke, heat and floods all contributed to a significant loss of cricket matches, before COVID-19 forced the cancellation of most finals.
"Likewise, COVID-19 has cost the football codes up to half their seasons.
"We all know how important it is to our communities to be able to play sport at all ages and all levels.
"The intent of this agreement is that we want to provide the opportunity for girls and boys, women and men, to play the sport they love this season, whilst supporting the many volunteers that give so much to our respective community sporting clubs and associations."
The CEOs said the agreement "clearly puts community sport as the central focus of all the sporting codes".
"We collectively thank local councils, the sporting community and our incredible volunteers for their patience and ongoing support," they said.
