However, the new measures being implemented on the mainland cannot yet be adopted in Jersey because of the unexpected extension of a netball ban on Caesarean shores.
Earlier this month Government of Jersey officials stepped away from their initial safe-exit framework when they announced a shift to Level 1 – maintaining tight restrictions on indoor sports – but Jersey Netball Association president Linda Andrews is calling for a rethink in the wake of relaxed guidance across the Channel.
She said: ‘Obviously the UK government has allowed a return with modifications so we’re hoping Jersey Sport will be able to review it and go to our government and say “this is what’s happening in England, can we look to release netball sooner, rather than wait for the next round of measures?”
‘I appreciate they can’t go sport by sport, but if we can apply the modifications accepted by England Netball and the English government I’m hoping they’ll accept it so we can get moving again. I think indoor, high-intensity netball will probably not be allowed yet, but maybe we can play outside.’
Discussing England Netball’s latest guidance, which includes an increase in the player-marking distance from three-feet to four-feet, Andrews added: ‘England Netball phoned me and asked if we could be the guinea pigs for it. At the time we were hoping that we would be allowed to play at Level 1, but obviously we can’t, so we’re due to speak to them again next week and they should outline in more detail how it’s going to look.
‘The modifications are massive for us. In netball you’re always marking somebody close, so to keep a distance we’re going to have to change how we do things. Then it could go into the “fleeting” category.’
Outdoor close-contact sports are now permitted in Jersey, although government advisors have insisted that interaction between players must be ‘fleeting’.
