University Athletes Hopeful For Regional Competition

Canadian university athletes learned earlier in October that all winter national championships had been cancelled due to COVID-19.

The decision was surprising but not unexpected for athletes at the University of New Brunswick, according to the communications manager with the UNB Reds.

Andy Campbell said they were well prepared for the news after a similar decision was made in terms of fall championships earlier this year.

“Those that are involved in winter term sports, they had some hope that there might be some titles to contend, but certainly they also knew that the probability of those championships not happening was there,” said Campbell.

The impacted events include the women’s and men’s championships in basketball, hockey, swimming, track and field, volleyball and wrestling.

Despite an absence of competition, Campbell said it has been amazing to see how the student-athletes have responded.

“Some have travelled great distances from across the country and around the world to be here and yet do their academics online but daily commit to training sessions, weight room sessions. Hopefully, there will be some exhibition contests that they can engage in,” he said.

Atlantic University Sport (AUS) and the Atlantic Collegiate Athletics Association (ACAA) are expected to decide on regional competition by mid-November.

Campbell said the two conferences have their work cut out for them as they explore options for all of the different sports.

“They’ll have to take into consideration travel, academic accountability, financial accountabilities and realities, but we’re hopeful that at some level, regionally, some of these teams can compete,” he said.

University sports not only benefit the athletes but also the community members who come to watch them play, said Campbell.

“I think the community has seen sports start to return in other areas and those that are fans of university sport in this region are eager to see their favourite events return in some way, shape or form,” he said.

The winter championship cancellations include the track and field championships the University of New Brunswick was scheduled to host in March at the Irving Oil Field House in Saint John.

U Sports have indicated anyone who was on the schedule to host in 2021 will have the chance to host in the future, said Campbell. The university is optimistic they will get the chance to do so in 2022.