The immediate impact of COVID-19 has placed significant stress across all sectors within Northland, with the long-term impact yet to be realised.  It has also meant that community sport across Northland needs to change so that regional sports organisations and the sport sector survives.

The region’s sport leaders in partnership with local district councils, the Northland Sports Coalition and Sport Northland are leading a collective response that ensures community sport is safe and continues to provide quality opportunities and experiences for all Northlanders.

Part of the response has been the collaboration of the five big codes (being Football, Netball, Hockey, Rugby, and Cricket) who have identified when their codes will play for the remainder of 2020 and have subsequently agreed to a Structure of Seasons framework going forward in support to getting sport happening back at Kensington Park. 

Following this, the Northland Sports Coalition have undertaken a flyer drop to the local Kensington Park community to keep them up to speed around the hive of activity which is about to start due to the delayed winter season. This approach had been used by the Whangarei Netball Centre in the past with many of the residents appreciating the pānui / flyer.

Some feedback has already been received, which is fantastic “many thanks for the flyer in the letter box about sport starting again, we appreciate the note, we live in Lupton Ave so the traffic impacts on us so it is good to know”.

The Northland Sports Coalition will continue to work with and encourage sports codes to work together for the greater good.