AO General Manager, Bill Harrigan has released a statement following the NSW Government’s recent announcement on the return to community sport at 80% double vaccinations.
Hi Everyone,
Great news is Oztag will be back in 2021.
After the NSW Government announcement on Monday, what we do know is this:
Community sport will return after we hit 80% double vaccinations in the community of 16 years of age and above (mid to late October).
We know it is only for double vaxxed people until the 1st of December. This will include parents and spectators only attending if double dosed. From the 1st, all can participate & attend.
We must abide by the one person per 2 square metres or capped at 5000 people if the venue is big enough.
There has been no mention of the ages allowed to return, only that we can return when double vaxed hits 80% of the people 16 and above.
So the questioned is asked, can under 16’s play without being double vaxed? We have asked the question and waiting on confirmation.
I read it as over 16 must be double vaxed and under 16 don’t but can return. TBC
Therefore Oztag associations are gearing up to return to play for Summer 21/22.
You will need to search your local associations social media or website for details on when they will start and their registration protocols.
You can find websites via oztag.com.au & search locations.
We will continue to update detail as we are informed.
The International Tag Federation recently announced the inception of an International Tag Series to be played across three countries in 2022.
In July, the International Tag Federation (ITF) announced the second postponement of the 2021 Tag World Cup (TWC) to be held in Limerick, Ireland 2022.
However, the ITF assured nations that the postponed Tag World Cup will still be hosted by the University of Limerick and the Irish Tag Rugby Association in August, 2023.
To ensure the International players who were selected for the 2021 TWC still have the opportunity to represent their country, the ITF developed a unique event that takes COVID-19 travel restrictions into account whilst giving players international competition.
ITF Chairman, Stuart McConnell was pleased to announce the 2022 International Tag series and the three areas of the world that will host the events.
“The ITF is extremely excited to unveil the tournament and the logo that will be on proud display in Europe, Australia and New Zealand at the same time that the postponed Tag World Cup would have been played,” McConnell said.
AO General Manager and ITF Board member, Bill Harrigan, who proposed the event to the committee, said the series will grant all players the long-awaited opportunity to represent their country.
“We just don’t know when overseas travel will open up so this tournament will allow all our international players the opportunity to represent their heritage countries safely within Australia, New Zealand & Ireland,” Harrigan said.
“All the players who were selected for the original TWC 2021 will finally get the opportunity to wear their jersey and play,” he said.
The ITF ensured that eligible heritage nations will receive an invitation to this tournament in the coming weeks.
Event dates for the 2022 International Tag Series:
Europe – University of Limerick, Ireland 5th – 7th August 2022
Australia – Coffs Harbour 5th – 7th August 2022
New Zealand – Auckland, Bruce Pullman Park, 11th – 13th November 2022
Australian Oztag Director of Coaching and Development, Michael Buettner officially announced the cancellation of the 2020 Trans Tasman series, due to the current COVID-19 pandemic.
“It is with great regret, Australian Oztag (AO) can officially announce the cancellation of the 2020 Trans Tasman Tournament in Auckland, New Zealand.
Unfortunately, due to the current COVID-19 lockdown, which has affected every State in varying degrees, the New Zealand ‘travel bubble’ was closed and therefore meant the tournament could no longer go ahead despite the many attempts to reschedule over the past 18 months.
Australian Oztag would like to congratulate all the players, coaches and support staff who were selected to compete in this tournament. It is always an honour to represent your country and this would have been the biggest touring party to have left our shores representing Australian Oztag.
All players and coaches will receive their playing gear courtesy of Australian Oztag as recognition of their selection in the squad, as well as the 1 year service recognition despite not having competed at the tournament.
Australian Oztag would also like to take the time to thank the players, coaches, managers and supporters for their patience, understanding and support over the past 18 months. Clearly these have been unprecedented times and we all are hoping that there is light at the end of the tunnel so we can all get back to playing as soon as possible.
Another big thank you to Kim Newton and Amanda Washington from MTA Travel who had the unenviable task of booking and rebooking over 600 players and supporters on 4 seperate occasions. Their efforts behind the scenes cannot be underestimated and their support, commitment and professionalism was apparent and ensured they were going to do all they could to get our Tagaroos teams competing at this Trans Tasman tournament.
Australian Oztag is hoping to see restrictions ease in the coming months, so players have the opportunity to enjoy our great game again. Until then, stay safe and train hard.”
Michael Buettner AO Director of Coaching and Development
AO General Manager, Bill Harrigan has released a statement in response to the NSW Government’s recent announcement regarding the ease of restrictions, subject to vaccination rates.
“Today, the NSW Government hinted there will be a further ease of restrictions when NSW hits 70% vaccinations in mid-October. They also said they expect to open up international travel in mid-November if we hit 80% vaccinations.
Therefore, there can be an expectation that community sport may be allowed to resume. It will probably come with restrictions like we saw last year when we returned to sport after the first lockdown. E.g. limited numbers within areas, no spectators etc. We should also consider that the Government may restrict sport to only fully vaccinated people.
So, Australian Oztag encourages its players to get vaccinated in readiness for a potential return to sport this year. We also acknowledge people have a choice but if the Government restrict participation to only fully vaccinated, we must comply.”
The SportUNE Oztag competition kicked off in Armidale last week, a new and exciting opportunity to promote the wellbeing of the University and the regional community.
Staff from Sport University of New England (SportUNE), reached out to the team at Australian Oztag (AO), eager to start up a local competition at the University’s campus in Armidale – a city in the Northern Tablelands region of New South Wales.
After much planning, the region’s first Oztag competition kicked off last Monday night, 19 July 2021, which saw ten teams compete in the Mixed division.
SportUNE Oztag Competition Coordinator, Justin Shaw deemed the opening night of competition a great success, anticipating more fast-paced, high-scoring games ahead of week two.
“We wanted this season to be a fun introduction to the game of Oztag and round one did not disappoint… despite the 3-degree weather we still ran all games, and everyone had a blast,” Shaw said.
“There were some really high-quality skills on display… I think by the end of the season, all the teams will be well versed in these skills, which will make for a tight and entertaining finals series,” he said.
SportUNE Oztag first night of competition. Photo Credit: SportUNE
Shaw said the community response has been fantastic since the competition’s inception.
“We really didn’t expect to get as many teams as we have, particularly in the Armidale’s Winter, so we’re stoked,” Shaw said.
“We couldn’t be more grateful to the players and community for their support in our first season; it drives us to make the competition better every week,” he said.
Shaw said he reached out to AO to discuss the potential of an Oztag competition in Armidale after witnessing the success of Tamworth Oztag over the past few years.
“We believe Armidale has fantastic potential to act as a middle ground between Tamworth and the coastal clubs like Coffs Harbour,” Shaw said.
“Luke Manahan has been such a fantastic help; Garry Semms has gone above and beyond to help train our referees and staff to ensure we’re prepared for a great competition,”
AO staff, Liam Haddock and Luke Manahan visit SportUNE Oztag prior to competition. Pictured with Coordinator, Justin Shaw.
“Pam Potts from Tamworth Oztag has also been a guiding presence and really helped out with firsthand advice on starting and running the comp,” he said.
SportUNE has always strived to deliver high quality competitions across a variety of sports, and it is believed that Oztag pairs really well with their criteria.
“One of our goals is to add value to the educational experience of students through the development of ‘life skills’ via Club and Committee involvement, and participation in sports administration, coaching, refereeing, and other accreditation courses,” Shaw said.
“Oztag fits in very well with this, especially when it ties in training for referees, and educational days with amazing athletes,” he said.
Shaw has big hopes for the future of SportUNE Oztag, the main being to introduce more divisions to the competition in 2022, including Men’s, Women’s, Mixed, and possibly a Kid’s division.
“Hopefully when the current COVID-19 situation is under control, we will have a strong competition and player base to interact with other Oztag organisations,” Shaw said.
“Perhaps we could collaborate with Tamworth and Coffs Harbour Oztag, for some bigger and bolder events,”
“These things will be in our sights, but for now, we want to focus on delivering a high-quality competition, to make sure we have the right foundations,” he said.
Although registrations for the current season are now closed, Shaw encourages the Armidale community to follow the SportUNE Oztag journey online and prepare for the next season by rallying friends, family colleagues or classmates.
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