Rugby and cricket players sidelined by coronavirus

A Cheetahs rugby player and two Knights cricketers will need to recover in isolation before they can resume training, after testing positive for Covid-19.

A latest round of test results have sidelined three more South African sportsmen, as domestic teams return to training. Picture: iStock

Three South African sportsmen have returned positive coronavirus tests as professional teams emerge from a lengthy shutdown, returning to training in the midst of the ongoing pandemic.
According to a Sport24 report on Monday, a Cheetahs rugby player had
tested positive.
The unnamed player had reportedly had no contact with the rest of the Free State union’s elite squad, who had all returned negative tests in the build-up to their scheduled return to action in the Pro14
competition next month.
Meanwhile, according to Sport24, two unnamed Knights cricket players had also tested positive.
Both players had been isolated from the rest of the Free State franchise’s squad, who returned to training on Monday.
Cricket SA had previously announced that seven individuals had tested positive in a first round of coronavirus tests, while South African golfer Dylan Frittelli was among the players who had picked up Covid-19 since the PGA Tour recently resumed in the United States.
Professional SA athletes were cleared by government last month for a return to training, and though the process had been delayed by health and safety concerns, eight codes had recently received approval for a return to competition under level three national lockdown regulations.
Domestic sport was expected to resume next week with the Solidarity Cup cricket clash in Centurion, but no other codes had yet revealed firm plans for a return to play.

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