In a statement released on Friday, Rugby Australia confirmed that matches, training and face-to-face education programs would all be pushed back for at least another two months.
Community and club competitions were already pushed back until the start of May but in the three weeks since that decision, the coronavirus pandemic has only had further impact.
Government restrictions limiting public gatherings to just two people and encouraging people to stay at home as much as possible have made it difficult for sport at any level to continue on.
Rugby Australia general manager of community rugby, James Selby said it was difficult to put an exact return date on the competitions.
“During this postponement we will continue working with stakeholders across community rugby to plan for a range of recommencement dates to ensure that as soon as Government restrictions are lifted, the community is ready to mobilise and deliver great rugby experiences in 2020,” he said.
“In the interest of the safety and welfare of all participants, preparation and training time will be factored in ahead of rugby competitions recommencing.
“Community rugby and its people are the lifeblood of our great game and our decisions will always be made with the interests of participants, families and the broader community as the priority.
“Once again, we want to thank our entire community for its understanding and patience through this time and encourage everyone to continue to follow Government and health advice to keep them and their families safe.”
Article by Beth Newman
