A DEAL has been struck to ensure the region's sporting competitions can continue despite changes to the NSW public health recommendations.
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Tamworth MP Kevin Anderson met with NSW Health and NSW Department of Sport officials on Wednesday to ensure competitions such as AFL North West, New England Rugby and Northern Inland Football could continue.
The meeting came after a whirlwind 24 hours for local sport, which was brought about by changes brought in by NSW Chief Health Officer Kerry Chant on Tuesday, which recommended sports cancel zone, regional or state championships, or competitions, from Wednesday.
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"I can confirm existing sporting competitions will be classed as a region and will be able to continue," Mr Anderson told the Leader.
"It is great news for our community, that's for sure.
"People have been very passionate about keeping sport going because it is integral to our way of life.
"To be able able to play sport on a weekend is great for our welfare, it's a great mental release and sport leads to a healthy lifestyle."
AFL North West tribunal co-ordinator Josh McKenzie welcomed the decision, saying it was a boost for the sport in the region.
"It would have been disappointing to see the season come to an early end," Mr McKenzie said.
"I'm no health expert, but it would have certainly been disappointing if it had come to an end because there was no apparent reason for us to put the brakes on what we have been doing.
"We've got some good measures to prevent the spread of the virus and the fact we had done so much hard work to get the season up and running would have made pulling the pin disappointing."
Mr McKenzie, the Tamworth Swans president, said continuing on would allow the game to continue its growth in the region.
"We are mindful that we don't want to be selfish and that public health must come first, but to me this is a good decision," he said.
"One of my concerns when it didn't look like we would play at all this season was what it would do to our growth across the region.
"We've got the expansion of junior teams in Glen Innes, the expansion of junior and women's teams in Gunnedah and growth within the junior ranks here in Tamworth.
"To not be able to play would have really interrupted that growth."
Tamworth Magpies president Mitch Hanlon said the decision to continue was "common sense".
"I applaud the efforts of Adam Marshall and Kevin Anderson for getting in there and fighting for us on this one," Mr Hanlon said.
"To me, the decision was very focused on metropolitan areas of the state such as Sydney, Newcastle and Wollongong.
"I don't think it really considered regional areas like ours at all, which is very sad."
The third-placed Magpies will host the top-of-the-table Harbour Knights on Saturday.
"It should be a good game and until this announcement, it didn't look like it was going to happen," Mr Hanlon said.
"We're really glad it can because sport is such an important part of not just physical health, but mental health as well."
Billy Jupp
Billy is a Senior Livestock Journalist for the Queensland Country Life based in Toowoomba. He has worked for a variety of different ACM mastheads during the past five years including the Namoi Valley Independent, Northern Daily Leader and The Land.
Billy is a Senior Livestock Journalist for the Queensland Country Life based in Toowoomba. He has worked for a variety of different ACM mastheads during the past five years including the Namoi Valley Independent, Northern Daily Leader and The Land.
