Sporting teams hit by WA's COVID border breathe sigh of relief with end in sight

For the Western Force, it was the perfect news on the eve of its Super Rugby season.

«We were on the bus having just arrived into Canberra and there was a bit of a 'wahoo' on the bus,» Force captain Feleti Kaitu'u said of Western Australia's plan to reopen its border in March.

«We are all battling with our own struggles, whether it be with family or whatever, and being able to go home without having to quarantine will be a lift to the boys' spirits,» he said.

Before Friday's announcement, the Force were staring at the prospect of having to repeatedly navigate border difficulties for the third season running.

Now the squad knows it can return to relative normality once the border comes down on March 3 — with quarantine-free interstate and international travel resuming from that date.

The Force are far from the only West Australian sporting team breathing an enormous sigh of relief thanks to the relaxation of restrictions.

Under WA's hard border, some teams — including clubs made up of part-time or semi-professional players who have had to step away from day jobs to continue competing — have been forced to spend weeks or even months interstate.

Major events have fallen by the wayside, with an Ashes Test, a one-day international cricket match and scores of Scorchers, Glory and Wildcats games among those lost because of the restrictions, while a handful of smaller sports were forced to cancel their seasons.

Perth Glory invested big money in former Liverpool striker Daniel Sturridge, hoping the big-name drawcard would boost attendances, but months into his stay he has only played at home once.

But with a return home on the horizon, the club is hoping to make up for lost time.

«You saw the first game where we sold out versus Adelaide