Dear Water Polo Community

 

It has been an unsettling couple of weeks, with the latest variant of Covid-19 spreading across Australia at a fast rate. Yesterday, South Australia’s cases increased by more than 1,400, while NSW and Victoria increased by 11,200 and 3,700 respectfully. Queensland has had an increase of 1,589 cases.

 

The full risks of undertaking the trip to Brisbane for the Summer Slam are still unknown, however, there is a chance that players and officials could contract the virus during travel, or while in Queensland, if not before going. As it stands, a person that has the virus needs to isolate until they can prove they are no longer carrying the virus. This may mean extended stays in Brisbane, or those infected being isolated, unwell and lonely, while other team mates fly back to Adelaide.

 

It would be expected that any infection among teams would probably render the team unable to play as well, and it could levy considerable financial costs on players and their families.

 

If the current growth rates of infected persons continue, we may see 10,000 cases a day in both South Australia and Queensland by mid-January.

 

The health of our players and officials both physically and mentally is our utmost concern, and the thought of sending teams away from home with a conceivable chance of being infected, seems too high at this point in time.

 

It is with a heavy heart that the Board and Management of Water Polo SA has notified Water Polo Australia of our non attendance at the Summer Slam.

 

As we look into the future, we have some exciting competitions coming up to look forward to. We are all hopeful that the current situation will pass soon. The Australian Youth Championships is expected to happen in Brisbane around Easter, and the Australian Water Polo League is due to start in just over a month.

 

We apologise for any inconvenience but after much deliberation we have decided that it’s in the best interests of our players, officials and their families to prioritise our health.

 

Take care of yourself and your loved ones.

 

See you in the pool soon.

 

Management and Board of Water Polo South Australia