Posted 20 March 2020

Effective from 20 March Tennis New Zealand and its affiliated Regional bodies have agreed to CANCEL all organised competition until at least 2 May 2020. For clarity the following events under the mandate of Tennis New Zealand and Tennis NZ affiliated Regions taking place prior to 2nd May 2020 are CANCELLED:

• Tennis Seniors National Teams Event, Hawkes Bay (Tennis Seniors Event)
• NZ Secondary Schools Teams Championship, Christchurch (A rescheduled date will be found later in 2020)
• NZ Junior National Teams Championships, Christchurch & Hamilton (A rescheduled date will be found later in 2020)
• Tier 2 & Tier 3 National Junior Masters Series Events
• Kiwi Money Tournaments
• Any Interclub competition organised by Tennis Regions
• Any other tennis competition organised by Tennis NZ and Tennis Regions

Tennis New Zealand and its Regions recommend all Tennis Associations, Affiliates and Clubs adopt this position and CANCEL all organised tennis competitions under their mandate until 2 May 2020.

For clarity we recommend all Tennis Associations, Affiliates and Clubs CANCEL the following until 2 May 2020:

• All Interclub Competition
• Organised Club tournaments and events
• Organised Affiliate tournaments and events including Tennis Seniors, Wheelchair Tennis and other Affiliate events.
• Organised midweek competition
• Organised club nights
• Any other competition organised by Tennis Associations, Clubs & Affiliates.

General Advice for Clubs, Coaches, Players and Administrators for Coaching, Training and Play

• Social distancing is the “new normal” and should apply to everyone’s actions
• Keep sweat towels in your bag when not using them
• Keep physical distance when instructing students
• Keep hand sanitiser available both on the court and in the club house
• Encourage players to use hand sanitiser, especially in group sessions if using shared equipment such as balls, racquets or supplementary lesson aids
• Follow this Ministry of Health advice if you have any gatherings such as tournaments or social nights or fundraisers coming up.
• As an added precaution, clubs should discontinue the traditional “morning/afternoon tea” where food is shared
• Players are to exchange “good game” verbal appreciation only. Shaking hands, touching elbows/rackets are not recommended
• Players are not to touch hands in celebration with doubles partners
• New balls should be used to limit cross-contamination from multiple players.
• Towels are not to be placed on fixed objects unless sanitation can be effectively conducted before and after use

Recommended advice from Sport NZ is as follows

It is recommended that all individuals and organisations in the play, active recreation and sport sector continue to follow the advice of the Ministry of Health who are able to share the latest information on a range of topics from travel to holding public events and mass gatherings.

Advice to date indicates individuals should be vigilant with personal hygiene and avoid people with cold or flu symptoms. This includes:

• covering coughs and sneezes with disposable tissues or clothing, or coughing/sneezing into your elbow
• disposing of used tissues appropriately in a bin
• washing hands with soap and water and drying them thoroughly or using hand sanitiser.

There is a dedicated Healthline COVID-19 number for those needing further advice and information – 0800 358 5453.

High Performance Sport NZ is also providing information specifically in regards to athletes or related staff travelling overseas to events on its web site.