Bowls Victoria guideline led by Victorian Government's community sport exemptions

The bowls club previously told The Standard it was morally opposed to a rival club's inclusion of an unvaccinated player.

While Bowls Victoria guidelines around COVID-19 state unvaccinated players can play pennant under a community sport exemption, retired Warrnambool GP Mike Page raised his concerns over the ruling this week, stating he couldn't see its logic.

"Non-vaccinated AFL players have lost their livelihoods, and you're not allowed to go into licensed restaurants or clubs without complying with vaccination regulations" he said. "And health-wise, having been a GP, that's what annoyed me, that you've got rules for some but the minority gets the points. Plus you're in an age group where you've got elderly people that may be at risk."

Bowls Victoria chief executive officer Tony Sherwill told The Standard he had heard both sides to the argument, however the organisation's guidelines were based of Victorian Government directives.

"We get complaints from people saying we shouldn't have the unvaccinated playing and we have those who are unvaccinated saying 'the government says I'm allowed to play'," Sherwill said.

"(The guidelines) are absolutely in line with what the Victorian Government and its health department say. They provide within their directions an exemption for community sport, which for us is pennant and club championships, enabling any vaccination status to play in those particular competitions," Sherwill said.

"We have to follow that; we're relatively good at running sport, but when it comes to infectious diseases and health and epidemiology advice, we don't get involved. We rely on the government who have all the facts, figures, research and expertise and take guidance from them."

Further confusion also relates to guidelines which state while unvaccinated players can compete, they cannot practice or participate in roll ups.

"We tossed it around for a while, and in discussions with the government tried to work out what they are actually trying to differentiate between," Sherwill said. "I can see at times there may not be a lot of logic with how it's supplied, but they are the government guidelines."

Sherwill emphasised it was important to remember that even if someone was unvaccinated, it didn't mean they had the virus.

"Anyone can get the virus, so you also have to consider a lot of other factors, which I'm sure the government has, i.e. mental health and social connectedness," he said.

As for the different standards set between professional sport, which has seen some athletes unable to compete, and community sport, the designation of a professional sports club as a workplace factors into having enforced vaccination requirements. Meanwhile community sport is recognised as a private activity with important community links.

"Community sport provides important physical, mental health and social wellbeing benefits for participants of all ages," a Department of Health spokesperson said.

"While there's no requirement to be vaccinated to participate in community sport, we encourage all participants and spectators to be vaccinated."