Dear Reds Member,
As you may be aware, SANZAAR made the decision to suspend Vodafone Super Rugby at the completion of Round 7 matches over the weekend, for the foreseeable future.
This decision was made following the New Zealand Government’s announcement that all returning travellers will have to self-isolate for 14 days, including Super Rugby players, as well as the Australian Government’s decision to advise against non-essential large gatherings of 500 plus people from Monday, 16 March.
The decisions made by federal governments and by SANZAAR - as Super Rugby’s governing body, have been made following the advice provided by various health organisations across the world in relation to the containment of COVID-19.
We understand that this is a challenging scenario for members who have pre-purchased tickets for upcoming home games. We are mindful that this global heath-crisis is bigger than sport and the health and welfare of the community is our priority.
Queensland Rugby Union (QRU) is working with relevant stakeholders to understand what the current ‘suspension’ of Super Rugby will mean in the short/medium/long term for Super Rugby in 2020.
Given the complex nature of the competition and the geographical and time-zone issues that Super Rugby faces, you will appreciate that it may take some time to formulate an appropriate course of action.
During this time, we value your patience and understanding as we work through all the complex issues in relation to Rugby.
As the governing body for Rugby within Queensland, we are also managing the potential implications this scenario has for various levels of the game.
We greatly appreciate the support of our Reds members, and as such we will keep you updated in due course as developments arise that we are able to communicate with you.
We have asked our staff to work from home, so communication during this period will be important.
We would encourage you to communicate with our membership team via email during this period: redsmembership@redsrugby.com.au.
This situation is unprecedented and is ever-changing.
We appreciate your support and understanding during this time as we work through this situation.
We encourage all to pay attention to health warnings and procedures, designed to contain the spread of COVID-19, issued by government and health organisations during this time.
Regards,
David Hanham
QRU CEO
