2021 Covid Sport Updates & Stadium Attendance Restrictions
This article will provide ongoing updates on the impacts of Covid-19 on Australian sport and stadiums, including restrictions and event updates.
Australia was one of the first countries to welcome crowds back to stadiums to watch live sport, however throughout 2021 there has continued to be various impacts due to ongoing restrictions.
LATEST UPDATES
- All Australian cities are out of lockdown, but WA continues to have the strongest border controls in place.
- Victoria has lifted all capacity restrictions as of November 19, meaning full crowds can now attend sporting events throughout the state.
- NSW has lifted all stadium restrictions as of November 8, meaning venues can be filled to capacity.
- Scroll down for specific updates, including the impact on NRL and AFL matches.
View upcoming impacted sports events
Austadiums continues to have up-to-date schedules for all sports, while we also mark cancelled and postponed events accordingly. Events with restricted capacity or closed to the public are also marked as such, as are relocated events moved to neutral venues.
See below for current crowd restrictions in each Australian state and territory and keep scrolling to see updates for each sport and competition. Most rules currently apply to people who are fully vaccinated.
Stadium Attendance Restrictions – As at November 19*
| RESTRICTION | NOTE | |
|---|---|---|
| ACT | 75% of seated capacity; 1 person per 4sqm for unseated areas ⓘ | |
| NSW | 100% of capacity ⓘ | |
| NT | 100% of capacity ⓘ | |
| QLD | 75% of seated capacity for 20k+ stadiums; 100% of seated capacity for stadiums smaller than 20k ⓘ | |
| SA | 100% of capacity ⓘ | |
| TAS | 100% of seated capacity ⓘ | |
| VIC | 100% of capacity ⓘ | |
| WA | 100% of capacity ⓘ |
*This should be used as a guide only. Please check official government resources for clarification on current restrictions (click the ⓘ icon above). Some capacity restrictions across venues within a state may vary depending on individual COVID-Safe plans.
Sports & Competition Updates
NRL
After the entire finals series was held in Queensland, the Grand Final has been locked in at Suncorp Stadium. However, the capacity has been reduced from 100% to 75% (as of Thursday) due to new Covid cases in Brisbane, meaning 13,000 fans can no longer attend and will be refunded. The game is still expected to proceed, but Queensland Country Bank Stadium in Townsville is on standby.
NRL FIXTURE | Stream on Kayo
RUGBY UNION
The final game of the Rugby Championship at Cbus Stadium Stadium this weekend will now be at 75% of capacity, with fans now unable to attend and will be automatically be refunded.
CRICKET/BBL
The start of the domestic season has been impacted with some Sheffield Shield and Marsh Cup games postponed. The BBL will commence on December 5 and the WBBL on October 14 (early season games have been relocated to Tasmania). The women's international series between Australia and India was relocated from NSW to QLD.
FOOTBALL/A-LEAGUE
The A-League season has been delayed to November 19, with the first 6 rounds of the 2021/22 fixture announced. The W-League season will commence on December 3. The Matildas will play 2 international friendly matches at CommBank Stadium on October 23 & 26, with capped crowds of 5,000 to be permitted to attend.
NBL
The start of the NBL22 season has been postponed until November 18 to maximise crowd attendance. The fixture is yet to be announced.
MOTORSPORT/SUPERCARS
Both the 2021 Australian F1 Grand Prix and MotoGP have been cancelled for a second year running due to Covid and the strict border restrictions in place. The revised Supercars schedule has been announced to conclude the 2021 season, with four back-to-back races in Sydney, followed by the Bathurst 1000, with limited crowds to be permitted to attend.
MOTORSPORT SCHEDULE
HORSE RACING
Crowds will not be permitted to attend the Caulfield Cup Carnival or the Cox Plate at Moonee Valley, for a second-straight year. The VRC is pushing for crowds of around 11,000 per day at the Melbourne Cup Carnival at Flemington. In Sydney, capped crowds of 5,000 are expected to be permitted at The Everest.
Stay tuned on this article as we’ll continue to update the information for each sport and competition as it comes to hand. Keep on visiting Austadiums to view up-to-date sports fixtures and event schedules around Australia.
