WAGGA City Wanderers are breathing a sigh of relief after concerns new travel recommendations outlined by the state government would destroy their season were eased on Friday morning.
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NSW Health issued new guidelines late last week recommending community sport participants avoid travelling from region to region, and the Wanderers play their National Premier League Two away matches in Canberra.
But the fact the team can travel to and from Canberra on game day without having to stay overnight means Saturday's road clash with Canberra White Eagles would have proceeded had it not been washed out by rain.
Griffith club Yoogali, who are top of the ladder after winning all four of their matches thus far, wouldn't been as lucky this weekend given it is too far for them to travel up and back on the same day.
Wanderers director Brendan Flanagan said the news was a massive weight off the club's shoulders.
Wagga City's men's side sits in second spot with ten points from four matches, and Flanagan said being forced to abort the season would have been "shattering".
"We want success as we go along of course, but our main job here is to give opportunities to players," he said.
"It's been bulk hours and very stressful the whole way through. To put all that work in, and then have the feeling it was all for nothing would have been shattering.
"I can understand not going into Sydney where there's hot spots, or people from Sydney not coming out into the regions. But ACT's got no cases, we've got no cases, in fact Griffith or southern NSW has no cases as far as I know.
"I don't understand why we have to have this blanket approach for everyone when it's not an issue out here.
"Where's the problem, where is the common sense?"
Wanderers players also travel in separate cars for road games, a practice that was in place well before the coronavirus pandemic.
Flanagan said it would have hit the club hard had they been forced to pull out.
"There's obviously the financial impact because it's hard to find volunteers to do everything. It's a big job and no one gets paid in the volunteer and committee side of things," he said.
"We did all the work to start the season and it got canned, then it was more work when it started again.
"If it got canned again, like most clubs you'd find it hard to get people to back up again next year because it would be absolutely deflating."
Meanwhile, all Football Wagga matches scheduled for this weekend have also been washed out due to rain.
