NAB Cup match deferred
16/12/2008 6:14 PM
The AFL has decided to pull out February's scheduled NAB Cup match between West Coast and Collingwood from South Africa amid the economic crisis that is gripping the world.
The league announced on Tuesday that a competitive match won't be staged in the Republic until 2010 and the Eagles' clash with the Magpies, which was supposed to kick off the annual pre-season competition, will be shifted to an Australian venue in early February.
"Organisations everywhere are revising their plans due to the global economic crisis and we are not immune to what is happening in the broader community," Demetriou said.
"In the current economic climate, we have not been able to generate the level of funding needed to stage the game. We are not prepared to take the financial risk in this climate."
"We will continue to invest in the game locally and we remain very strongly committed to ongoing investment in the development of the game in South Africa which we believe has the potential to build a very large participation base during the next 10-20 years and perhaps within five years, be a new source of players for AFL clubs."
"The global economic crisis is a challenge for all sections of the community, not just sport, and we must act prudently and responsibly and defer our plans for 12 months."
However, the current economic situation won't prevent the AIS AFL Academy from touring South Africa in April for the third year in a row.