Update on 2020 Thomson and Whelan Competitions

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We just sent an email out to our Thomson and Whelan teams updating them on potential plans for these competitions

Given the cancellation of Winter Tournament Week, and the change to Sport NZ recommendations this release has since been superseded and replaced by an updated proposed competition structure. Click here to read the update

 

The content of the email is below, and was sent on 12 May 2020

Just a quick update to let you all know where we are with these competitions, after announcing that we are aiming at being able to start winter club basketball on the week of June 6

  • We want to start the Thomson and Whelan Competitions some time after the weekend competitions begin. This will allow us to check that our COVID-19 protocols are able to be effectively administered, before having host schools being responsible for these
  • May 26 is the date which SSNZ has said they will announce if Winter Tournament Week (WTW) will go ahead, and specifically if basketball will be played then
  • We want SSNZ/SSC to officially sanction our plans for the competitions
  • We have an expectation that schools are cancelling field trips and exchanges (reducing need for dates to run deferred games on)
  • If playing two games in a specific week, Tuesday and Thursdays would be the default scheduled days for competition

June 16 is the earliest date we think the Thomson and Whelan Competitions would begin, so as to allow us to understand the parameters we are working with for the competitions.

Sport NZ’s latest update has just come out earlier this evening, and indicates that practicing in groups that total ten people is ok (while fulfulling other obligations), with an increase to this limit likely occurring around Queen’s Birthday Weekend. Click here for more info.

If WTW is still happening as originally scheduled our season timeline could start on June 16, have some weeks with two games, and finish as originally planned (August 25 and 26).

If WTW is not happening as initially planned, we will look at finishing later in Term Three, thus reducing the need to play two games a week as often. The format for each competition will also be worked on to finalise how many games will be played too.

 

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