Bio-bubbles scrapped for Europe’s URC teams, but Covid testing continues

Visiting sports team to South Africa are no longer required to live in a bio-secure bubble, but they do still have to undergo regular Covid testing.

The same applies to the South Africa-based players who’re in action on a regular basis.

This means that all the rugby players and coaching staff of the United Rugby Championship teams from Europe – who’re touring South Africa for the first time over the coming weeks – will be treated like any visitors entering the country, according to SA Rugby.

Crucially, these teams will no longer be required to live in a bio-bubble in one location, such as a hotel or lodge, and be forced to stay there for their entire time in South Africa, and the players and coaching staff will be able to live day-to-day like any local.

Zebre from Italy, for example, will be in action in Stellenbosch against the Stormers this Sunday and then face the Sharks in Durban next weekend. How they spend their time away from the rugby fields is up to them.

Previously teams, especially cricket teams, visiting South African shores, played all their tour matches in one location (or they stayed in one location) so movement was limited between hotels, airports and playing venues.

Last year’s eight tour matches by the British and Irish Lions in South Africa were also hosted in just two locations – Gauteng and Cape Town. And almost no freedom of movement was allowed to explore the country.

This weekend in South Africa, European-based URC teams Scarlets, Munster, Cardiff and Zebre play matches in Durban, Pretoria, Joburg and Cape Town, and next week will be in action elsewhere in the country.

It is understood that the South African government’s decision to move the country down on the alert level scale allowed teams greater freedom of movement and the scrapping of bubbles.

All sporting visitors have to meet the requirements of the country when entering South Africa, however, and in the case of the URC players, both those from Europe and the local South Africans have to still undergo a Covid-19 screen test once a week.

Previously, in the earlier waves of Covid and even when the South African rugby teams only played against each other – in the Currie Cup and the Super Rugby Unlocked competitions – players were subjected to Covid tests, and screening, twice a week and sometimes on game day as well.