TAMWORTH could play host to yet another international sporting team with the Wellington Phoenix considering quarantining at Scully Park ahead of the upcoming A League season.
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The club announced on Tuesday it would base its squad in NSW for the start of the season and Tamworth is being touted as a potential host for the team, along with Canberra and Wollongong.
Wests Entertainment Group chief executive officer (CEO) Rod Laing said the Phoenix "would be most welcome at Scully Park".
"We have had conversations with the club in the past and we would certainly be open to any discussions about hosting them during quarantine," Mr Laing told the Leader.
"Any New Zealand side is welcome here and we would welcome the Phoenix absolutely."
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Scully Park cemented itself as one of the best sporting facilities in regional NSW when it hosted the New Zealand Warriors during the club's quarantine period, before it could take part in this season's NRL competition.
The success of the Warriors' stay at the venue was compounded when the club returned to take on the Newcastle Knights in a Round 16 clash.
"I feel as though the success of the Warriors' stay at Wests earlier in the year should hold us in good stead to host the Phoenix," Mr Laing said.
"From what I understand, the Phoenix's general manager David Dome has had discussions with the Warriors' CEO Cameron George about the possibility of coming to Tamworth.
"I think our track record of hosting clubs for long periods speaks for itself and we would be very willing to have those conversations with the Phoenix."
In a statement, the club said it would aim to bring its squad to NSW during the next week.
"The plan is to have all players assembled in NSW in the week commencing 1 November, where they can begin training as a team," the statement read.
"This will require players from New Zealand travelling to Australia prior to this date, as well as Australian-based and overseas-based squad members travelling into New South Wales.
"For the latter, this may require players having to undergo two weeks quarantine; in this situation, the players affected will join the squad, and begin training, after their quarantine ends."
The 2020-2021 A League season is set to begin on December 27.
The Leader understands Tamworth could also be in line to host a pre-season trial game between the Newcastle Jets and the Central Coast Mariners on December 12, ahead of the season launch.
Billy Jupp
Billy is a Senior Livestock Journalist for the Queensland Country Life based in Toowoomba. He has worked for a variety of different ACM mastheads during the past five years including the Namoi Valley Independent, Northern Daily Leader and The Land.
Billy is a Senior Livestock Journalist for the Queensland Country Life based in Toowoomba. He has worked for a variety of different ACM mastheads during the past five years including the Namoi Valley Independent, Northern Daily Leader and The Land.
