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COVID-19: Vernon flag football, touch rugby leagues cancelled

Both leagues are spring-summer seasons
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Vernon and District Minor Football has cancelled its spring flag football season, as has Vernon Youth Rugby, due to COVID-19. (Morning Star - file photo)

Two more spring programs have been cancelled due to COVID-19 in Greater Vernon.

Vernon and District Minor Football will not play its spring-summer flag program due to the pandemic, and Vernon Youth Rugby has also put off its seven-week session til possibly in the fall.

Minor football’s board of directors voted unanimously to cancel the flag football season for all age groups due to safety issues surrounding the coronavirus.

On March 31, the British Columbia Football Conference extended its date of no team functions until at least June 1 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Our priority at this point is the health and safety of our entire community at large, and want to do all we can to help slow the spread of the virus,” Vernon Minor Football president Mark Budgen said. “Our mandate as an organization is to put the kids first, and if we get the go-ahead to safely have some form of football events, we will provide interested kids the opportunity to play.

“As a board, we have been working diligently to prepare for the tackle football season this summer and fall and we will have further announcements on this in the coming months.”

The tackle season runs August to November.

Refunds for the flag football program will come from Esportsdesk (the website used to register and pay the fees) and minor football is working with them to sort out how this will happen.

Vernon Youth Rugby is a fun non-contact introduction to the sport for kids aged five to 12. The six-session, seven-week program was to have started April 26 at Grahame Park. The City of Vernon closed all of its facilities due to COVID-19.

“Now that the fields are closed until June 30, that’s our season,” Vernon Youth Rugby organizer Gord Cheyne said. “We are considering a fall season if fields are open then.”

READ MORE: Vernon flag football doubles numbers

READ MORE: Vernon youth touch rugby program growing



roger@vernonmorningstar.com

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Vernon Youth Rugby has cancelled its spring season, as has Vernon and District Minor Football’s flag football league for all ages, due to COVID-19. (Morning Star - file photo)