ALERT LEVEL 3 – AKH DAILY UPDATE: ALL Hockey is postponed for this weekend 14-16 August

THURSDAY 13 AUGUST 4pm 

Dear AKH Stakeholders

All AKH Intercity, Club Hockey, Youth Hockey, Junior Hockey and College Sport Hockey is postponed for this weekend 14-16 August. We believe it is prudent to postpone this weekend’s games early and in advance of any Government announcements at Friday 4pm due to the following: 

1. To ensure we uphold our number one priority which is to keep our AKH Community safe at this time.
2. To allow us to work with school personnel to confirm turf availability and set up appropriate protocols at each of the turfs used by AKH assuming Level 2 applies for next week or in future weeks.
3. To allow a revised draw to be set up and communicated taking account of 9 turfs (incl North Harbour’s NHC) which are now unavailable until at the earliest next week.

Please note this continues to be a fluid situation where we await further Government announcements on Alert levels and indication of school turf availability across the city. Therefore, a further update will be posted on Friday 14 August post the Government’s 4pm announcement ahead of the weekend.

Alert Level information from Sport NZ can be found on their website. It is clear there can be no community hockey at Alert Level 3.

While the rest of NZ is at Alert Level 2 it is worth reminding AKH stakeholders that when community hockey is able to continue please be aware that contact tracing and increased hygiene protocols will be in place and there will likely be impact on the scheduling of games and trainings, bar/cafe at LEP, changing rooms access, spectator limits, etc. As such please be patient and kind to one another as we all work through the impacts of the different alert levels.

Please note Hockey New Zealand will be releasing further information around the Premier Hockey League and Secondary Schools tournament as the situation evolves and further information becomes available.

The LEP facility is currently closed. Do not attempt to enter the site, jump fences, etc.

All AKH Staff are working from home. Club Presidents, Secretaries and Junior Coordinators should direct any hockey related questions to the relevant AKH Staff member via email.

Let’s all do our part and strictly follow Government Guidelines so we can get back to the turfs of Auckland as soon as possible:

1. Stay home.
2. Keep your bubble small.
3. When away from your home maintain 2m physical distancing.
4. Wear a mask when away from your home.
5. Practice good hand hygiene and coughing etiquette.
6. Use the Government tracing app.

Thank you everyone for your understanding and co-operation over the last 48 hours. I am confident we can get through this period together just as we successfully navigated our way through the last return to play period in May-June.

Take Care, Stay Safe, Stay connected and look out for one another.

Manoj Daji

CEO AK Hockey