SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA – OCTOBER 27: NRL CEO Andrew Abdo speaks to the media during a State of Origin media opportunity at Pullman Quay Grand Sydney Harbour on October 27, 2020 in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Mark Metcalfe/Getty Images)
The NRL grand final will have to cut over 13,000 tickets after the Queensland government announced a tightening of restrictions on Thursday morning.
The move comes as Queensland grapples a new COVID outbreak, meaning all of Brisbane, the Gold Coast, Logan, Moreton Bay, Townsville and Palm Island will return to Level 2 roadmap restrictions.
This means the capacity at major stadiums has been reduced to 75 per cent.
It’s a bitter blow for the NRL, who are hosting the grand final in Brisbane for the first time. Tickets were sold out in less than 24 hours after going on sale at 4pm on Monday.
While the government didn’t communicate which fans would lose their tickets, the NRL have decided it will be based on a last in, first out policy.
This means the last quarter of tickets bought will be refunded, however, other ticket holders may also request a refund if they no longer wish to attend the game.
BRISBANE, AUSTRALIA – JUNE 04: A general view of the stadium is seen before the round four NRL match between the Brisbane Broncos and the Sydney Roosters at Suncorp Stadium on June 04, 2020 in Brisbane, Australia. (Photo by Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images)
NRL CEO Andrew Abdo said the decision was out of the NRL’s hands, and that this was the fairest way to determine which fans missed out.
“We had two allocations of grand final tickets. The first was to the general public and the second was aimed at fans of both grand final teams,” Abdo said.
“The fairest way to determine who can attend the game is by prioritising the first 75% to purchase tickets in each allocation. Any fan who no longer wants to attend will also be able to access a refund.
“I want to acknowledge fans who will now miss out on attending the grand final. I know you had been counting down the days to a once in a lifetime experience and this will be difficult news to take, but this decision is out of our hands.”
The NRL had previously flagged the idea of moving the decider to Townsville, however, they have now been placed on the same level of restrictions as the Brisbane area.
TOWNSVILLE, AUSTRALIA – MARCH 28: A general view is seen before the start of the round three NRL match between the North Queensland Cowboys and the Gold Coast Titans at QCB Stadium on March 28, 2021, in Townsville, Australia. (Photo by Ian Hitchcock/Getty Images)
While Queensland have avoided a lockdown at this stage, the government are concerned about extra seeding in the community.
Queensland announced six new cases today, and while four were linked, the delta outbreak has torn through New South Wales, Victoria and the Australian Capital Territory at alarming speed.
It has been stated the NRL grand final has nothing to do with a lockdown, and that if one is recommended, then the Queensland government will put one in place.
Source:: ZeroTackle
