The bulk of Canberra's elite sports teams have rolled up their sleeves in the fight against COVID-19, clearing the way for cross-border travel and a step towards normality.
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The ACT Brumbies, Canberra Capitals and ACT Meteors will start their seasons with their entire squads fully vaccinated against the virus, but the Canberra Raiders currently have at least two players who haven't had their first dose, with those players facing life in a bubble.
Canberra United refused to reveal what percentage of their squad had been vaccinated. Some of their players who haven't had the jab may not be able to travel to games in Victoria, Queensland or Western Australia.
State vaccination mandates threaten to wreak havoc for any teams with players opposed to being vaccinated against the virus, with Victoria and Queensland health officials blocking unvaccinated athletes from playing in those states.
Mandates combined with hardline border stances could have major ramifications on the future of athletes who refuse to get the jab, slashing match payments and player salaries.
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The entire Brumbies playing roster and all club staff have received their COVID-19 vaccinations to ease concerns heading into the Super Rugby Pacific season, during which they are likely to play away games in Queensland, Victoria, Western Australia, and New Zealand.
"All of our players and staff are vaccinated. Everyone just got it done," Brumbies chief executive Phil Thomson said.
"The Wallabies players got it done during the course of the season and all of the players we've got training with us now, and our staff, are vaccinated. We didn't have to do anything other than ask everyone to get vaccinated.
"It's good news for us on [the travel] front. We don't envisage any problems."
The entire Capitals squad is fully vaccinated leading into their WNBL campaign which begins on December 5 in Sydney.
Club officials did not force players to be vaccinated, but squad members were relatively quick to get the jab in a huge boost for the club leading into the 2021-22 season given three WNBL clubs are based in Victoria and another is in Queensland. It is understood there has been a strong uptake for the vaccine within the WNBL ranks across all eight teams.
Cricket is set to become the first major Australian team sport to declare itself fully vaccinated, with every professional player having already had at least their first dose against COVID-19.
The last unvaccinated domestic player in Australia had their first dose against the virus last Tuesday, meaning the ACT Meteors will boast their full contingent for the entire WNCL season.
By the end of November, the entire cohort of about 300 men's and women's Big Bash and state-contracted players will be fully vaccinated.
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