June 20, 2020
Welcome back and thank you to all our loyal members, from players, staff and volunteers to all friends, families and supporters.
Your co-operation and patience throughout this challenging time has been invaluable and it has been the collective efforts of all those in our communities that has seen us reach this point.
Thank you to our Zones, Districts and Clubs for the hard work they have undertaken over this period to ensure a safe return to rugby league for all and big welcome also to any new members of our rugby league communities.
Thanks to the generosity of Sky Sport with support from OPRO and Steeden, NZRL is providing a starter pack to all kids (U6-U12) who register online to play Rugby League in 2020. The packs include a Steeden Ball, OPRO Mouthguard, Kiwis and Ferns Poster and a handy bootbag. Kids who registered before the Covid-19 pandemic will also receive a Starter Pack.
As seasons begin to kick off from tomorrow, we encourage everyone to get down and support your local club, but remember to stay home if you’re feeling unwell and continue to practise good hygiene – your health and safety is still paramount.
Once again, welcome back everyone and enjoy your return to the great game of rugby league.
#TheKiwiWay
Greg Peters, NZRL CEO
June 8, 2020
While the country readies to move to Alert Level 1 at midnight tonight, NZRL reiterates the fact the ‘Return to Play’ date remains Saturday, 20 June.
Although the long-awaited move to Level 1 is an exciting milestone, player safety remains paramount. The 20 June date provides the needed time for players to condition their bodies to minimise the risk of injury after a long hiatus.
It is important to note that each Zone may have staggered / differing competition commencement dates for junior and senior grades so please refer to your appropriate District for specific Return to Play dates from 20 June.
Under Alert Level 1, social distancing and contact tracing are no longer required, however, it is still good practise for Clubs to display QR codes re the NZ COVID Tracer app for those in the community who wish to continue to keep a “digital diary”.
At Alert Level 1, gathering restrictions will also be lifted, however, it is still important to continue to practise good hygiene measures using the sanitation packs provided to each club.
If you’re sick, stay home. If you have cold flu symptoms, call your doctor. Wash your hands. Sneeze or cough into your elbow. Disinfect surfaces – using sanitation packs provided to each club. If you have underlying conditions, talk with your GP about precautions. Isolate immediately if told so by authorities. We once again thank you all for your continued understanding throughout the entire COVID-19 period. We look forward to seeing our rugby league communities safely return to the field again soon.
May 26, 2020
On Friday, May 29, New Zealand Rugby League will enter the ‘Prepare to Play’ phase for a minimum of three weeks, in light of yesterday’s announcement that gathering numbers permitted for grassroots sport will increase to 100 people come lunchtime Friday.
During the ‘Prepare to Play’ phase, rugby league contact and non-contact training is permitted only for clubs that can abide by the Government health and safety and gathering requirements.
Competition rugby league remains postponed during this three-week ‘Prepare to Play’ period as NZRL in liaison with the Zones and Districts aim to re-commence with competition rugby league on Saturday, June 20 (subject to change).
It is important to note the further three-week postponement of competitive rugby league provides time for players to condition their bodies from light training through to full contact, minimising risk of injury after a long hiatus, as player safety remains paramount.
NZRL also stresses the fact that clubs should not rush to return to training if they are not ready and continue to use this ‘Prepare to Play’ period to properly ensure their facility can abide by all mandatory health requirements.
These requirements include what ‘must’ be done such as contact tracing, physical distancing and hygiene and sanitation measures. Clubs will be provided with a checklist and supporting information to assist with the required return to play planning.
The ‘Prepare to Play’ period is the second phase of a three-phased approach return to rugby league; Get Ready, Prepare to Play and Return to Play. This approach is based on the Government recommendation of a considered return to community sport.
NZRL in liaison with the Zones and Districts will provide further update over the next three weeks regarding the final ‘Return to Play’ phase.
We thank you all for your continued understanding during this time and look forward to seeing our rugby league communities safely return to the field again soon.
NZRL COVID-19 Level 2 Prepare to Play Checklist
NZRL has developed the prepare to play rugby league checklist below to support clubs to prioritise and assist the safe delivery of rugby league for participants and supporters.
Club checklist_prepare to play – print version
CONTACT TRACING
Contact tracing protocols MUST be in place and able to be accessed quickly for all participants and spectators before we resume rugby league training and competition.
Contact tracing is the identification of individuals that have come into contact with people who have been diagnosed with COVID-19, and it is a fundamental precaution taken against the spread of the virus in the community.
REQUIREMENTS OF RUGBY LEAGUE CLUBS
Rugby league clubs who are able to open at Alert Level 2 will be required to maintain a register of participants and spectators to assist the Ministry of Health’s efforts at contact tracing.
The register
Guidance issued by the Ministry of Health requires:
Care should be taken in the maintenance of the guest register, with the following issues being addressed:
“This information is being collected to assist in the management of the COVID-19 pandemic. It will be given to the Ministry of Health and/or the District Health Board on request in the event that it is required for contact tracing purposes. We will not use it for any other purpose, and will destroy it after four weeks. It will be kept here at [name of the establishment]. You have a right to access and correct any information we hold about you.”
ELECTRONIC REGISTER: NZRL recommends IDMe, a web app that provides a touch-free method for recording the attendance of all people at rugby league trainings and games. IDMe avoids traditional sign-in methods such as a Guest Book (paper/pen) or touchscreen iPad since people don’t want to touch a surface that others have touched. Also, traditional sign-in methods are normally not appropriate for facilities, events, or games where a number of people may congregate within a relatively short space of time, since they can cause queues and delay access.
See IDMe’s website http://id.idme.co.nz/about for more information – it’s free for ALL New Zealand sports organisations.
TRAINING
All players, team staff and supporters who attend training will
GAME DAY
All players and team staff will use online team sheets in LeagueNet as their method of contact tracing on game days. Click here for support note on how to enter team sheets or here to watch a recorded webinar.
Supporters who access your facility, including fields and clubrooms,
Should there be a suspected or confirmed COVID-19 case among someone who visited your facility, you should contact Healthline’s dedicated COVID-19 hotline on 0800 358 5453. Health authorities will then decide whether to contact anyone else linked to the suspected or confirmed case.
If you need any further details or have any further queries regarding contact tracing and the Privacy Act 1993 please contact the Privacy Commissioner on 0800 803 909 (Monday to Friday, 10am to 3pm).
NZRL_Contact Tracing FORM – print version
POSTERS FOR CLUBS
