PACNEWS
PNG Hunters. Picture: RNZ
PORT MORESBY, 17 FEBRUARY 2021 (RNZ PACIFIC) – The Papua New Guinea Hunters rugby league team is staying positive despite three failed attempts to relocate to Australia.
34 players and management staff have been been in a quarantine bubble in central Port Moresby for the past 11 days as they await approval to travel to Queensland to compete in the Intrust Super Cup.
Their latest attempt was delayed when Queensland Health Authorities said the squad must complete 14 days in quarantine after one person tested positive for Covid-19.
Hunters coach Matt Church said they were doing everything they could could to minimise the risks.
PNG Hunters gear up for 2021 season.
Photo: Facebook / SP PNG Hunters
34 players and management staff have been been in a quarantine bubble in central Port Moresby for the past 11 days as they await approval to travel to Queensland to compete in the Intrust Super Cup.
Their latest attempt was delayed when Queensland Health Authorities said the squad must complete 14 days in quarantine after one person tested positive for Covid-19.
Hunters coach Matt Church said they were doing everything they could could to minimise the risks. We went pretty harsh with the boys and did a bubble within a bubble exercise this week in light of the positive case, he said.
PNG Hunters coach Matt Church briefs training squad.
Photo: Facebook / SP PNG Hunters
34 players and management staff had been isolating together in a quarantine bubble in Port Moresby for the past nine days as they await approval to travel to Queensland to compete in the Super Cup.
The travelling party underwent a second round of Covid-19 testing on Thursday, with the full squad returning negative results yesterday.
But because one person tested positive during the first round of testing, the rest of the squad are regarded as close contacts and must quarantine for 14 days.
The PNG Hunters will be based in Queensland for the 2021 season.
The Papua New Guinea Hunters rugby league team s departure to Australia has been delayed again after one person tested positive for Covid-19.
The PNG Hunters have faced a series of hurdles in their efforts to relocate to Queensland.
Photo: Facebook/PNG Hunters
34 players and management staff had been isolating together in a quarantine bubble since Thursday afternoon after receiving approval to travel by Queensland Health Authorities.
After undergoing a Covid-19 test, one result was classified as inconclusive on Friday before further testing confirmed it to be a positive case on Saturday evening.
PNG Rugby Football League Acting CEO Stanley Hondina said: an urgent hook up meeting was held between all parties in PNG and Australia and a decision was made to delay the team s departure tentatively to next Sunday February 14, 2021.
The PNG Hunters will be based in Queensland for the 2021 season.
Photo: Facebook/PNG Hunters
The club was forced to delay their departure by one week after a request to isolate and train together at a facility on the Gold Coast was denied.
Thirty players and six management staff will spend two weeks in managed isolation at a Brisbane hotel before moving to their permanent base at Runaway Bay to prepare for the 2021 Intrust Super Cup competition. It s great news for us all to finally get the approval for the SP Hunters players and officials to travel to Queensland, said PNG Rugby Football League acting CEO Stanley Hondina.