Canberra's professional sporting teams are unlikely to be required to get a COVID-19 jab ahead of their December start, as codes shy away from following the AFL's vaccine mandate.
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The AFL announced on Thursday it would require all team's staff, and AFL and AFLW players to be vaccinated before the start of next season.
However, the UC Capitals and Canberra United's respective competitions, the WNBL and A-League Women's, appear to not be embracing vaccine mandates.
But if players or staff are not vaccinated across the two leagues, they will likely not be allowed to feature in games in Victoria, Queensland, Western Australia or South Australia due to vaccine requirements.
Or even board a plane, with similar policies possibly in the pipeline by airlines for domestic travel.
The Capitals are due to begin their 2021/22 campaign on December 5 against the Sydney Uni Flames.
Basketball Australia, and the Capitals, declined to comment but BA said news on its vaccination approach for the WNBL was imminent.
However, vaccine requirements have already impacted the WNBL. Bendigo Spirit released Canadian import Katherine Plouffe this month due to VIC requirements.
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United are due to kick off their ALW campaign a day after the Capitals, on December 3, against Melbourne City at Viking Park.
The A-Leagues are shying away from a mandate across their two competitions and instead have been conducting education sessions for players and staff, in collaboration with the Professional Footballers Australia union.
An A-Leagues spokesperson said they anticipated state and airline mandates would only impact a minority in the code.
"The A-Leagues men's and women's seasons will begin on November 19 and December 3 respectively," they said.
"With more than 98 per cent of players league-wide compliant with the Victorian mandate, we are all ready for the return of football."
United has signed 14 players so far, with the side's six week pre-season getting underway on Monday.
Capital Football - who manage United - chief executive officer Phil Brown said they would not be commenting on personal health matters.
"That is personal health information we will not be sharing publicly," he said.
"The A-Leagues have not made vaccinations mandatory, but we support the strong recommendation for all people to be vaccinated."
Isobel Cootes
Sports reporter at The Canberra Times. A Novocastrian with a passion for football (or soccer as they call it in the capital) via The Examiner and The Port Lincoln Times.
Sports reporter at The Canberra Times. A Novocastrian with a passion for football (or soccer as they call it in the capital) via The Examiner and The Port Lincoln Times.
