New Zealand Football is considering mandating vaccinations against Covid-19 as a prerequisite for selection in its national teams.
The governing body is currently undertaking a consultation process with football and operations staff, as well as players, and expect to have a formal policy in place by December, which will applyfrom 2022 and beyond.
It's an issue that has come to the boil over the last week, since All Whites' coach Danny Hay confirmed that one unvaccinated player missed selection in the team to face The Gambia later this month in Abu Dhabi, because of the United Arab Emirates' strict entry requirements around Covid-19.
On Tuesday the Herald revealed that a second contender had also been taken off the list, when his vaccination status became apparent.
NZF chief executive Andrew Pragnell confirmed a project was underway to examine the ongoing implications of Covid vaccinations and assembling squads.
"We are about to enter the consultation phase on determining a policy on that," Pragnell told the Weekend Herald. "Once that is complete and come out the other side, we will have some sort of final position."
"At present, the approach, like most organizations should be doing, is to undertake a risk assessment for each window. So we don't have a final policy at [the moment] but I expect we will get one and have a clear position for 2022 and beyond."
The process will be led by NZF General manager of high performance Gareth Jennings and will involve all key stakeholders, as well as the NZF executive.
But regardless of the outcome of the consultation, Pragnell points out that the practical realities of international football may override any particular organisational policy, as New Zealand national teams, particularly the All Whites and the Ferns, rarely play at home.
"The reality is that between the majority of the countries we will be playing in, plus the airlines we will be using, you need to be double vaccinated to either get in or get on board," said Pragnell.
"That has a pretty big implication if you can't attend the majority of the games. There's a pretty significant practical element to this if you want to stay involved in international football."
"It's impractical to have a scenario where someone might just be able to play in 10 or 20 per cent of the games, of countries that might let [them] in."
It's not yet known if there will be a blanket policy around Covid vaccinations for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.
Chris Wood and Michael Boxall of the All Whites. Photo / Photosport.co.nz
FIFA is currently working with the host nation on a protocol, though the decision ultimately rests with the Qatari government.
In June Qatar's prime minister stated that fans attending the tournament would have to be fully inoculated, but that policy has yet to be confirmed.
Regardless of any directives for travelling supporters – which also occurred for several venues at the European Championships earlier this year – there may be a compromise for players.
As an example, it's understood that unvaccinated players will be allowed to participate in next month's Arab Cup in Qatar. They will need to present negative tests upon arrival and submit to regular tests at the tournament.
Meanwhile, the All Whites' path to the 2022 World Cup is yet to be fully confirmed, but the build up is taking shape.
After the current games in Abu Dhabi, the All Whites are expected to have further matches in the Middle East in the January window, before the Oceania World Cup qualifying tournament in March in Qatar.
"We haven't been given a timeframe for the exact dates for that tournament," said Pragnell. "[The Oceania Football Confederation] are working with FIFA on what the tournament format looks like within that window and whether it has to stretch over either side of the window."
