Ford Trophy final deferred as a result of Cyclone Gabrielle’s devastation

The Ford Trophy final between Central Stags and the champ of Saturday’s disposal final has been deferred from Sunday due to the devastation caused in the Hawke’s Sound region by Cyclone Gabrielle.

A great deal of the Stags players is situated in Hawke’s Straight, and Central Districts chief executive Lance Hamilton said Sunday’s final, which was to be played in Queenstown, was the keep-going thing on players’ brains. No elective date has been declared at this point for the final.

“It’s a player government assistance issue, as a matter of some importance,” Hamilton said. “We have players without power and water, who have simply the barest of correspondence ability and are worried for relatives and companions. It basically wouldn’t be reasonable to remove them from their families as of now. We’re profoundly disheartened to see the devastation the cyclone has caused to our district, and our hearts go out to everyone affected.”

Hamilton said that, unlike the Stags group, the ladies’ Central Hinds side had just a single player from the Hawke’s Cove region, and the players were quick to continue with their Hallyburton Johnstone matches against Canterbury in Christchurch this end of the week.

NZC chief executive David White said he upheld Central Districts’ situation. “Lives have been lost, homes and organizations have been obliterated, enormous wraps of the district are submerged, and various individuals are as yet missing,” White said. “We had no dithering in consenting to Compact disc’s solicitation. Our considerations are with everyone in Hawke’s Narrows and somewhere else who is managing the effect of this disaster”.

The primary Test between New Zealand and Britain began as booked in Mount Maunganui on Thursday, with the groups offering their appreciation for the lives lost during Cyclone Gabrielle.