TWO of the south-west's major summer sports are pursuing different COVID-19 vaccination policies but are united in urging participants to get the jab.
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The Western District Playing Area - formerly known as the Western District Bowls Division - has made COVID-19 double vaccination mandatory for all players while the Warrnambool and District Cricket Association will allow unvaccinated players to participate.
While unvaccinated people will be free to play, coach or umpire cricket outdoors, they could face heavy restrictions. It's still unclear if they will be able to access changerooms and social rooms as per Cricket Victoria guidelines.
They will be allowed to train outdoors but not indoors.
The Victorian government on Sunday revealed there would be no legislated mandate for people to be vaccinated for community sport.
The state government's roadmap now reads: "community sport permitted indoors and outdoors, regardless of vaccination status, with minimum number required. For spectators public gathering limits apply."
We just thought it was a way of clearing the air a little bit so the clubs were clear on what they could and couldn't do.
- Marian Treweek
Western District Playing Area committee member Marian Treweek said the board's vaccination policy affected those in midweek and weekend pennant. Players from the region participating in state events would also need to be inoculated.
"We just thought it was a way of clearing the air a little bit so the clubs were clear on what they could and couldn't do," Treweek said.
"Those with hospitality requirements have to be double vaxxed to go in there anyway. Then there was the issue also of people objecting if they were playing against someone who wasn't vaxxed.
"They could say they don't want to play - then who gets the points?"
Treweek said Bowls Victoria was yet to release their guidelines but the Western District Playing Area had taken the initiative to make a call. She said anecdotally it seemed many of the clubs in the region had members fully vaccinated.
"Just talking to people it seems most of the clubs have people fully vaxxed anyway," Treweek said.
Warrnambool and District Cricket Association chairman Gordon McLeod said the association would follow Cricket Victoria's advice.
He said while players would not need to be fully vaccinated to play, they were strongly encouraged to get the jab.
The WDCA will begin on November 13 while bowls will begin on November 6 for weekend pennant and November 9 for midweek pennant.
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