Following the outbreak of COVID-19 (coronavirus), Netball SA has made the tough decision to cancel the Mighty Murray Clash between the Adelaide Thunderbirds and the Melbourne Vixens next month.
The match was set to take place in Berri on April 17, but with 581 tickets purchased to the sold-out event, the game will no longer go ahead in line with government advise around mass gatherings and to ensure the health and wellbeing of our community.
The coaching clinics and forums scheduled for the following day, April 18, have also been cancelled.
Netball SA CEO Bronwyn Klei said the Thunderbirds were devastated to see the event cancelled but were hopeful it could be rescheduled in the future.
“Unfortunately, the Clash has to be cancelled due to the outbreak of the coronavirus and the government’s recommendations around large gatherings,” Klei said.
“It was really important to Netball SA because this would have been the first time two Suncorp Super Netball teams played in regional SA, but the wellbeing of the players and wider community must come first.
“Hopefully, we can look at exploring opportunities again in the future.”
Although the event has been ruled out for 2020, Klei said the hard work put in by the Berri Netball Club and all key stakeholders had not been wasted.
“The Berri Netball Club worked really hard to make this event a major success,” Klei said.
“The Berri Barmera Council were also fantastic to work with, as well as local business who really supported the event.
“We are devastated not to get up there, but hopefully next year.”
The Berri Netball Club has committed to refunding all tickets and plan to contact individuals directly to arrange refunds.
Netball SA has also decided to cancel its Fan Day, which was set to be held at the Priceline Stadium on April 19.
“Just as disappointing is the decision we’ve had to make around cancelling our Fan Day,” Klei said.
“This event is such an important part of our calendar and we apologise to our loyal fans that it can no longer go ahead for this year.
“As much as we were looking forward to it, protecting our netball family remains our top priority in a time of such uncertainty.”
Netball SA will continue to provide updates as the situation around COVID-19 continues to evolve.
