Government clearance is all that's needed for a New Zealand hub to be confirmed as part of the upcoming Australian Baseball League season.
Johny Homza Photo: Photosport
The ABL have confirmed that, if they can get the appropriate exemptions by November, the Auckland Tuatara will host up to four teams during a revamped regular season.
Tuatara chief executive Regan Wood said they were waiting on the outcome of New Zealand Rugby's discussions with the government.
"We're waiting for the rugby union to weave its magic because the rugby union will set the standard.
"We're just planning that there's going to have to be a quarantine, and where we're actually going to be doing that quarantine."
Pending that government clearance, Geelong-Korea, Adelaide and Brisbane were all confirmed to be based in New Zealand for 24 games each during January.
A fifth 'International' team was also in line to join the hub.
While no exemptions had been granted yet, Wood said themselves and the ABL were pushing ahead with optimism.
"We're treating it as though we've got the green light.
"From a planning point of view, you've got to treat is as all go, as opposed to going well we could be, should be, maybe but this Covid looks dreadful.
"I'm like well, let's just rip into it, and then we can back ourselves off and start working on plan B in November if it looks like it's just not going to happen."
Auckland Tuatara CEO Regan Wood. Photo: Andrew Cornaga/Photosport
Plan B is likely to mean the entire league being based across the ditch in Adelaide.
But Wood acknowledged, at the moment, he had doubt about whether they would choose to follow in the footsteps of the Warriors league side and Phoenix footballers.
"That's a financial decision, as well as what's best for everybody.
"Maybe we would be better off staying here and running coaching clinics for our community, our fan base here in New Zealand and growing that.
"We're working on some of the numbers [relating to being based in Australia], and it just might be prohibitive."
Meanwhile the Tuatara remained positive former Major League Baseball star Manny Ramirez would be joining them for the 2020-21 season.
The 12-time All-Star and two-time World Series champion's interest in playing for the Auckland side came to light earlier this month.
Wood said he expected to know in the "next week or so" whether 48-year-old Ramirez would be coming to New Zealand.
"He wants confirmation that the season's going to go ahead, for obvious reasons. He needs to make adjustments for his life and his family.
"We're just waiting now for him... he just wants to play baseball and experience a bit of New Zealand and the ABL.
"We're hopeful that he says 'yep, I'm coming to Auckland' and away we go from there."
