"Angry" parents in Victoria are withdrawing their children from community sport as clubs call for a vaccination mandate, amid rising tension over the rules for participation.
The current directions from the Chief Health Officer say COVID-19 vaccination requirements do not apply to community sport participants, workers and spectators.
Wangaratta and District Cricket Association president Greg Hoysted said he had written to Cricket Victoria to ask them to enforce a vaccination mandate despite the health directions.
Mr Hoysted said they were currently sorting through a "difficult" situation where one town did not want to send their under-12 cricket club to another town for a match because there were COVID cases there.
While cricket is mostly an outdoor sport, he said there were still opportunities to transmit the virus.
"You do have long periods of time standing with players, and there are drink breaks and meal breaks indoors," he said.
"Even though we don't share drinks and we're not meant to share food, even with all of that it increases the possibilities for transmission."
'Complicated' to enforce a 'third set of rules'
Cricket Victoria chief executive Nick Cummins said the organisation strongly encouraged vaccination, but said they were not willing to create a "third set of rules".
"If the state government has got a set of rules, and the local LGA has got a set of rules and we create a third set, it makes it incredibly complicated for the participant to understand what they can and can't do," he told Virginia Trioli on ABC Radio Melbourne.
"And if the cricket game is played at a place where it's mandatory, such as a university of school, that would overrule the position."
He said he was also mindful of asking volunteers to enforce the mandate who may not have the training to "manage conflict".
"Particularly if it runs in opposition to what they've been told they can do by the government."
Rock and a hard place
Little Athletics Victoria CEO Anthony McIntosh said the initial directions from the Chief Health Officer required anyone aged over 16 to be fully vaccinated to participate in community sport, but these directions had recently changed.
Mr McIntosh said he received a similar number of complaints from "angry" parents on both sides of the vaccination debate.
"When the first lot of directions came out ... we had lots of blowback; lots of feedback from angry parents in particular, saying that's not right," he told Virginia Trioli on ABC Radio Melbourne.
"But there were equal numbers, possibly more angry responses, from parents when the rules changed back [to no vaccination required]."
He said he accepted the Chief Health Officer's directions, despite some parents withdrawing their children from playing.
"We trust that these conditions are expressly for the health and the safety of the people in our sport."
A Department of Health spokesperson said that "all Victorians want to get back to doing the things they love, which is why getting vaccinated is so important."
It is understood community sport is recognised as a private activity, like weddings, funerals and religious gatherings, which also do not require mandatory vaccination.
Professional sportspeople working outside their home are required to be fully vaccinated by November 26.
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