The Wellington Phoenix is encouraged by the New Zealand Government’s announcement today that quarantine-free trans-Tasman travel will be allowed from 19 April 2021.
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Although the club will continue to base itself out of Wollongong in New South Wales until the end of the season, this decision now opens up the possibility to play up to two matches in New Zealand during the 2020/21 A-League season.
The club has previously stated that returning home is a goal. It’s important for the fans, our corporate partners and of course players and staff members – some of whom will have been separated from their families for over six months.
In anticipation of such an announcement being made, the club has been working on a plan to have the team and support staff return. This includes travel logistics, liaising with ticket providers and investigating accommodation arrangements for all the teams involved.
With this announcement today, these plans can now be accelerated. We hope to be able to make a further announcement shortly regarding the team’s ability to return to New Zealand.
The club wishes to stress that no definitive decision on a return has been made as yet, particularly as there are a range of factors involved in this decision – not just for the club but the A-League in a wider sense, due to the risk involved in travelling to another country and the possibility of further Covid outbreaks in either country.
