The Western Force's women's team have pulled out of the Super W rugby competition after just one round due to the worsening COVID-19 situation in NSW.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The Force drew 17-17 with the President's XV in their season opener last week and were due to take on the NSW Waratahs in Coffs Harbour on Sunday.
But that game has now been cancelled after the Force made the decision to abandon the competition due to safety fears.
NSW recorded 30 new locally acquired cases of coronavirus on Sunday, when Sydney started its 14-day lockdown.
The Force will now return to Perth, which imposed its own restrictions on Sunday after a COVID-19 scare in Western Australia.
Force players will have to complete two weeks of quarantine on arriving back in Perth.
The Force released a statement on Sunday saying the decision to return to Perth was made so that players and staff can return to their families and fulfil employment obligations without further impact.
"We were greatly looking forward to round two after a very promising start to the season," Force chief executive Tony Lewis said.
"However, the health and well-being of our players, their families and team management is our priority."
This year's six-team Super W competition reverted to a pool format due to coronavirus complexities, with each of the two groups featuring three teams.
The original schedule was for three rounds to be played before finals.
An update to the competition fixtures and format will be announced in the coming days.
"We are really disappointed for all of the ladies competing in this year's Super W as we continue to manage the impacts of COVID-19," Rugby Australia chief executive Andy Marinos said.
"It was set to be a great festival of rugby in Coffs Harbour, providing much-needed game time leading into the Test series."
North Melbourne's AFL players and staff were forced into isolation on Sunday, having been at Melbourne airport at the same time as a confirmed case.
There were also concerns for Hawthorn's VFL affiliate team Box Hill, who took on a club that travelled on the same flight as an infected flight attendant.
AFL fans in Perth were turned away from Sunday's clash between West Coast and the Western Bulldogs at Optus Stadium after WA's COVID-19 scare.
Fans were also locked out of the international hockey matches between the Australian and New Zealand men's and women's teams in Perth.
Australian Associated Press
