Super Netball 2020 Season Looks Promising, CEO Chris Symington Says

Suncorp Super Netball league CEO, Chris Symington, said the hopes of completing a full 2020 Super Netball season are promising as state governments have begun easing restrictions around COVID-19.

The league has informed clubs that, until May 31, all player training and preparation should continue to align with the minimum Level A standard as described in the AIS Framework for Rebooting Sport, where athletes are only permitted to partake in solo training or with one other person while maintaining social distancing.

Clubs were advised the prospects for the 2020 season look promising but there is still some work to do before finalising its format and timeline, with clubs currently permitted to allow athletes 12 hours of club-led, individualised training per week.

The 12 hours of individualised training per week arrangement as part of the agreement between the league, clubs, and the Australian Netball Players’ Association, in conjunction with the player pay reductions announced in April.

“With restrictions easing around the country, our hopes of being able to complete a full 2020 season are cautiously rising, but in order to maintain competitive balance within the league while the finer details of the season are agreed upon, we have advised clubs and athletes to continue solo training for the next two and a half weeks,” Symington said.

“There are still many decisions to be made in relation to how and when the 2020 season will take place, as well as how and when all clubs will resume formal team training, and the league will be in a position to announce all of this prior to 31 May,” he said.

The Suncorp Super Netball league also told clubs they must factor in any quarantining measures when bringing athletes back to the club from interstate or overseas within the next few weeks.

The 2020 Suncorp Super Netball season was originally scheduled to begin on May 2 but has been suspended to at least June 30 due to the COVID-19 (Coronavirus) pandemic.