Canberra's major sporting organisations have banded together to encourage participants to download the COVIDSafe phone application to help ensure return to play is as smooth as possible.
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Community sporting groups will be free to resume non-contact, outdoor training on Saturday morning after the ACT government eased restrictions earlier this week.
Some clubs are still waiting for their individual sports to complete a "coronavirus framework", which will stipulate hygiene guidelines for the first steps back on to the field. The government will re-open sports grounds and existing bookings will be reinstated as of Monday.
The coalition of major participation sports in Canberra have been meeting to discuss restrictions, sharing of venues and potential seasons clashes in the coming months.
They are also working with the government to finalise a plan for indoor sports to resume and organisations have encouraged their clubs to download the government's tracking application in case
Coalition chairman James Allsopp, who is also the chief executive of Cricket ACT, said: "While the resumption of outdoor training activities is a welcome and important step, the next steps need to be considered.
"Firstly, finding some resolution as to how to best manage in indoor activity will be a crucial step for fuller engagement of people in community sport.
"Secondly, the transition from winter to summer sport of outdoor sport is being undertaken with considerable goodwill and co-operation by the winter and summer sport users of grounds with a view to gaining agreement towards handover dates and in consultation with the ACT government.
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"[The coalition] wants to have community sport in the ACT to make an influential contribution on the road to recovery for the community but this can only be achieved by all participants being co-operative and exercising discipline in respecting other people and the restrictions that are in place.
"All COMPS sporting bodies will be encouraging members and participants to download the COVID Safe app to assist with tracking and tracing."
The coalition includes representatives from cricket, soccer, rugby league, rugby union, Australian football, netball, basketball, netball and tennis and was launched last year to campaign for common causes.
Soccer was the first to publish its training guidelines this week, while Rugby Australia has instructed teams to avoid organised training until June 1.
Hockey ACT is working out how to cater for all participants given most train at Lyneham or Tuggeranong, and only a specific number of people will be allowed in the venue at the same time. Teams can only train in groups of 10 and contact is not allowed at the moment.
The closure of the ANU, AIS and University of Canberra has also limited facilities available for training, which could cause a logjam for sports-starved participants who are desperate to take the field.
Most competitions are targeting a mid-July start date, pending the further easing of government restrictions. But the later-than-usual start will likely see sports extend passed their usual ending and into the summer sport seasons. AFL Canberra, the Canberra Raiders Cup and the John I Dent Cup all share some venues with cricket.
The sports have vowed to work together to ensure there is minimal disruption.
"COMPS is understanding of the ACT Government's cautious approach to easing of restrictions and recognises that returning to play is important, especially when the encroaching colder months that staying indoors with the heater on and lounging in warm casual gear and the Ugg boots is alluring," Allsopp said.
"Playing sport with others is a liberty of our way of life that people can embrace and also respect. The road to recovery, however, needs patience from all active sport and recreation participants as it will require responsiveness to the managing of public health demands.
"COMPS also recognises that the easing of social restrictions towards returning to play doesn't offer a licence to be carefree in approach.
"All participants will need to understand and respect the health and safety protocols that need to be adhered to."
- Click or touch here for the AIS return to play guidelines for 28 different sports
- For information on COVID-19, please go to the ACT Health website or the federal Health Department's website.
- You can also call the Coronavirus Health Information Line on 1800 020 080
- If you have serious symptoms, such as difficulty breathing, call Triple Zero (000)
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