Amid the uncertainty of COVID-19 and the winding back of public health restrictions, summer sporting codes are doing what they can to get their season underway.
Netball is go
From this week through to early December the Brunswick Byron Netball Association will be running its Twilight Season for senior players. The season will run to December 8 and will follow all current government regulations including the requirement that all players and spectators over the age of 16 need to be vaccinated against COVID-19.
The association was hoping to put on junior competitions as well, but the numbers just weren’t there.
‘It’s hard times at the moment. We are going to have a short competition, just so everyone can have a bit of a run around,’ Mullumbimby Netball Club’s Maree Leeson said.
Football sixes
The ever-popular Bangalow Summer Sixes football competition was set to kick-off earlier this month but has been cancelled.
The Mullumbimby six-a-side competition will still go ahead. It was going to start next week, but will likely be put off until the restrictions ease again on December 1.
The competition is open to men and mixed senior teams (players must be over 14). So far 20 teams have signed on and the register is still open until a maximum of 24 teams is reached.
Cricket ready to play
The Ballina-Byron District Cricket association is planning to run a shortened 2021/22 season commencing on November 6 for juniors and December 4 for seniors.
First grade and second can also look forward to a short-format warm-up competition in November.
‘Because numbers are expected to be down, as players have to be double vaccinated, lower grades will probably have to make up the numbers, so they won’t have their own short-form comp,’ Byron Bay cricket Club’s Greg Daniels said.
Twilight Cricket will also get underway next week.
‘Everything should be confirmed by the end of the week,’ Greg said.
Basketball
The regular five-a-side competition run by the Byron Bay Basketball Association at the Cavanbah Centre will not be going ahead this year, but the club is hosting an informal three-on-three competition.
The juniors will also be training and trialling over summer, ahead of entering an expanded junior league in March 2022.
AFLX
Starting this week, teams of ten junior players will be competing in the Northern Rivers AFLX eight-week competition.
AFLX is an introductory version of the game involving ten players and small square playing fields.
Cycling gears up
The Byron Bay Cycling Club is on track to host at least five events before Christmas.
Starting in November, the club will resume its usual program of racing every second and fourth Sunday of the month, from 6.30am at the Cavanbah Centre. There will also be a monthly Friday night event on the third Friday of the month.
Nippers are back
Byron Bay SLSC has announced that Nippers will be run over summer, starting from this Sunday, October 31.
Byron Bay Football
The Byron Bay football club is currently on hold, but is planning to run an evening competition for men and women starting in late January. The club will assess numbers and enthusiasm in the new year to determine the final format of these competitions.
Waterpolo
Teams across the Far North Coast will be making a return to competition from next Monday, November 1. Trial games are already underway for the 2021/22 season.
