The perhaps unexpected cancellation of one of country cricket's premier tournaments for 2021 is a sober reminder for regional Victorians of how far we have to go in the struggle to overcome the coronavirus, or precisely, it's ongoing impacts.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Bendigo has been hosting the popular Country Week cricket carnival since 1934, and the abandonment of next year's event is the first time the tournament has been cancelled since 1946.
OTHER NEWS:
That says a lot about how popular the event is, and how much cricketers from near and far have enjoyed coming to our city to enjoy playing the game and enjoying some of the many attractions Bendigo has to offer.
Disappointing yes, but the reality is organisers have no choice but to make the call to pull up stumps - for next year anyway.
A primary concern for the event organisers is the increased workloads on local clubs to ensure venues remain COVID safe each day for competing teams.
This echoes the challenges our winter sports organisers had to combat, and eventually give in to.
Lingering concerns about how accommodation arrangements can be satisfied in the era we have no choice but to grow accustomed to would also have played a role in the decision.
While there are high hopes that local cricket can resume this summer, there's no doubt the historic cancellation of Country Week will strike a nerve with other event organisers who are no doubt keen for a resumption in competition as well.
But it reinforces just how much work we need to do to find our way through to whatever the COVID-normal world will eventually resemble.
This decision isn't just about sport - it reflects the severity of where we've been and the complexity around where we want to be, and our government and health leaders have a lot of work to do to lead us through the mire.
Have you signed up to the Bendigo Advertiser's daily newsletter and breaking news emails? You can register below and make sure you are up to date with everything that's happening in central Victoria.
