Wests Tigers chairman Lee Hagipantelis says he’s “absolutely convinced” the NRL and its clubs will terminate the contracts of players who choose to turn down the COVID-19 vaccine.
The NRL is yet to announce its stance on vaccine requirements and whether it will be mandatory for players.
Outside of Australia, major sporting leagues such as the NFL, NBA and English Premier League have chosen not to mandate the vaccination, but have imposed restrictions on non-vaccinated players.
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But in Australia’s NBL, which also hasn’t mandated vaccination, a trend is emerging of unvaccinated players being turned away. The New Zealand Breakers yesterday parted ways with star Tai Webster due to his refusal to get the vaccine, which Hagipantelis says will happen in the NRL.
The Wests Tigers chairman holds a close relationship with the Sydney Kings, who are sponsored by Brydens Lawyers, a firm at which Hagipantelis is the principal.
“This is a discussion I’ve had with the owner of the Kings, Paul Smith,” Hagipantelis told SEN radio.
“These organisations, the NRL and basketball, are employers of players who have a contractual relationship with the organisation to provide a particular service.
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“That service, as per the contract, would include interstate and international travel.
“The fact that they would be unable to fulfil their contractual obligations by reason of their choice not to get vaccinated means that the contract is frustrated and perfectly entitled for the employers to terminate.
“Will that occur in the NRL? I’m absolutely convinced it will.
“Moving forward, we have the Northern Territory has already announced there will be no unvaccinated person getting into that state.
“If I recall correctly, Parramatta takes one game to Darwin each year, so that might be a significant problem for any Parramatta player who is not vaccinated.
“The club will have to make a decision on whether that player is simply stood down for the game or alternatively whether it puts in place these contractual arrangements with the club.”
Recently, rugby league great Paul Gallen echoed a similar opinion to Hagipantelis.
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Gallen said regardless of the stance the NRL elects to go with, states will have the last say, which he believes will provide players with no choice but to get vaccinated.
“There will come a time when the state governments effectively ban them (players), because they might prevent them from travelling,” Gallen said in his column for Wide World of Sports.
“If you’re based in Sydney and haven’t been vaccinated, well you might not be able to play at Suncorp Stadium or AAMI Park, or over in New Zealand.”
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