A Bay of Plenty community rugby leader is calling for kindness, whilst a football president is asking players not to take aim at clubs and regional organisations, as vaccine mandates look set to impact the 2022 season.

Pre-season is currently underway for many rugby and football clubs in the region. Under the current Covid-19 framework, unvaccinated coaches and officials over a certain age, will not be involved in the full-sided versions of the game.

Bay of Plenty Rugby and WaiBOP, the regional organisations for each sport, are both following guidelines from their respective national agencies, New Zealand Rugby and New Zealand Football. Both NZR and NZF say they are following Government advice.

Both BOP Rugby and WaiBOP will therefore require My Vaccine Passes for matches and training for all those aged over 12 years and three months.

Were they to persist with gatherings without vaccine passes, full-sided rugby and football would not be possible.

Under the red setting, gatherings are limited to 25 if vaccine passes are not being utilised. With 15 players on each side rugby is off limits under this scenario. Football, once referees, assistant referees and coaches are taken into account, also breaches the 25 person limit.

Punishments for organisations or clubs not adhering to the protection framework could be severe.

A spokesperson for the Government's Covid-19 response team says any clubs found not enforcing the number limit, in a gathering in which vaccine passes are not used, could be issued an infringement fee of up to $4,000 or a fine of $12,000.

Any attempt to manipulate vaccine passes, or knowingly accept false passes, could see clubs and officials charged with offences under the Covid-19 Public Health Response Act.

'WaiBoP will follow the New Zealand Government requirements and New Zealand Football recommendations under the Covid-19 Traffic Light System,” says WaiBOP CEO Karyn Walters.

BOP Rugby Community manager Pat Rae says the organisation is simply following guidelines.

BOP Rugby community manager Pat Rae is calling for kindness. File Image. Bruce Barnard.

'Our position on whether to mandate vaccines is literally governed to us by what the Ministry of Health have said,” he explains.

'We need health and safety wrapped around everything we do anyway and Covid just adds an extra layer.”

The topic of vaccine mandates for community sport is clearly contentious. WaiBOP football received a backlash on Facebook after posting up the guidelines being provided by NZF to their page earlier this month.

A subsequent post on their website included a reminder of their social media guidelines.

'There are many people in the wider football community and this allows for many different points of view,” says Karyn.

'WaiBoP respects people's views.”

Meanwhile, despite reaching out to over a dozen rugby clubs in the region, none offered a comment to SunLive on the topic.

Pat admits there has been some negative comments already on the guidelines but he points out that under the current framework, rugby can actually go ahead. He cites the example of RIPPA rugby, cancelled last year, but able to go ahead under the traffic light system.

'I think people are missing that point,” says Pat.

'We are actually able to deliver this year.”

Pat explains the exact impact on rugby is not yet known, as musters are only just getting underway.

Whilst he acknowledges that vaccination rates in the Bay of Plenty are high, he is aware that they are still low among the region's Māori population.

'The region has fairly high vaccination rates but we did have low vaccination rates within the Maori population,” says Pat.

'We also know that 57 per cent of our registered players identify as Māori. What we don't know is are the unvaxxed people also our rugby players? We won't know until registrations.”

Currently, the Bay of Plenty has the worst full vaccination rate for Māori aged between 18-34 across New Zealand.

From a football perspective, Pāpāmoa FC president Maaka Nelson says those who are disappointed should not be aiming their ire at clubs and WaiBOP.

'Fundamentally, with the limit at 25 people it is impossible to play 11-a-side football and no chance of rugby being played 15 v 15,” says Maaka.

'If the Governments' 25 maximum unvaxed limit was potentially 30 or 35 then it could be done.

'Everyone should be having a crack at the Government number rather than regional sporting organisations.”

Pāpāmoa FC president Maaka Nelson, left, says clubs should not be targeted by disgruntled players. File Image. John Borren.

Otūmoetai FC president Paul Thomas says there has been no pushback to the club but rather the Government policies. He knows of 'two or three” members who will be impacted.

'Reading through the stats online the majority are vaccinated,” says Paul. 'So while there will be an effect on the numbers we are hoping it is minimal.”

Tauranga City AFC chairperson Brendon McHugh says the club have so far identified some of their youth members who are 'obviously upset” at being unable to play this season.

All three football clubs made it clear the mandate is coming from NZF, via the Government, and not the clubs.

'As a volunteer club we don't have any particular view,” says Maaka.

'Our priority is to be able to provide footballing activities for those who are able.”

Pat does not believe rugby players who will be unable to play are being discriminated against, as they had the choice to get vaccinated or not.

Pat says that if the 'appetite” exists among the rugby community to run a potential sevens programme, without vaccine passes, BOP Rugby would look to facilitate that 'in a heartbeat”.

Rugby's higher Maori participation rates could be an issue due to vaccination rates among the Maori population in the BOP. File Image.

Regardless, Pat hopes to see mutual respect from people on each side of the divide as the situation becomes clearer over the next couple of months.

'If there is one thing I have learned, regardless of what people's decisions are, you do not need to be nasty about it,” he explains.

'You can still be kind.

'If people have chosen not to be vaccinated that is their choice but don't go bagging the crap out of them and vice-versa.

'It's what I don't like about some of our unvaxxed people protesting. If people have chosen to be vaccinated that is fine. Goodness gracious, what have people become.”