Organisers of the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup have said they will be taking it “week-by-week” when it comes to ticketing for the event in New Zealand, which is currently operating under red restrictions due to COVID-19.
New Zealand employs a traffic light system, with each colour representing a different level of coronavirus restrictions. The country is currently under red, meaning that there are capacity limits for venues.
Women’s World Cup chief executive Andrea Nelson has said that the tournament can go ahead, but there are rules in place which will affect attendance and ticket holders.
The event is set to get underway on Friday, March 4, with the opening game taking place between hosts New Zealand and the West Indies at Bay Oval stadium in Mount Maunganui, Tauranga.
Nelson said: “We can operate currently in pods of 100. We’re taking it week-by-week as we work our way through but in the first week, it is likely that there’ll be some availability at some matches.
“Unfortunately, at some venues, we will have to cancel existing ticket holders and obviously, that’s not something we want to do and we’re working really hard to see how many people we can get into the stadium and maximise interest in the World Cup.”
Strict protocols are already in place for the teams, with special charter flights and designated hotel floors.
Nelson added: “Our players here on the ground will be following some pretty strict protocols to keep them safe, and to keep the tournament going.
“We have put measures in place such as charter flights domestically, exclusive hotel floors, and an environment where if you are interacting with the team, you need to isolate for a period of time before you enter in.
“That hopefully keeps the team environment as safe as possible and then we’ll focus on once inside our stadiums keeping the public safe.”
Image: Alessandro Bogliari on Unsplash