WAGGA Wagga Netball Incorporated (WWNI) is planning on introducing a junior division dedicated solely to the elite representative players as community sport still awaits an answer on when senior sport can commence.
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Netball NSW boss Carolyn Campbell made his displeasure patently clear when the NSW government issued a return to play date of July 1 for junior community sport (18 years and under), but failed to do likewise for older participants.
A large number of junior-aged players feature in the first grade competition, and WWNI president Rosemary Clarke said alternatives will be put in place should their best young talents not be allowed to play seniors.
"We're putting together a couple of scenarios depending on what options there will be, but we'll definitely start 18 and under competitions on July 18," Clarke said.
"We will slightly change how that works, and how best we fit the number of people we're allowed on the courts.
"One of our scenarios is we will play a competition of the top age players, our 17s rep girls and 15s rep players who would normally play in an A grade competition, and run a specific competition for those elite players.
"How we run that, we don't know as yet. Any players 18 years and under who are committed to rep teams will be able to satisfy their commitments to Wagga netball by playing in a slightly different competition.
"We don't really know how the scenario will work as yet, we assume we'll have a division above our normal 18s who are competing at that higher level."
A frustrated Campbell issued a statement this week demanding the government give them clearer direction on when open level sport can proceed.
"We were obviously hoping for more comprehensive news," Campbell wrote.
"I have been doing everything I can to ensure the message gets through that staying silent on a return to play date for senior sport is simply unacceptable.
"There is absolutely no reason why a date for senior sport can'be be announced, even if it is a phased approach, a couple of weeks after the juniors."
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