Dobson opens up about Covid and ‘awful’ 2020 rugby year

Ahead of their final game of 2020 at Newlands on Saturday, Western Province coach John Dobson called the 2020 season “awful.”

Province host Griquas in a Currie Cup clash at 4.30pm.

“It’s been an absolutely awful year,” said Dobson candidly.

“For now we are just hoping to enjoy a good Currie Cup campaign. After that we can look forward to the Rainbow Cup next season,” he said.

The four local “Super Rugby” sides will play in a new competition, against 12 Pro14 teams, based in Europe from April.

Dobson reflected on the year by calling the Cape-based union’s performances a “mixed bag”.

“We were ravaged by injury after our fifth game of Super Rugby earlier this year and then all our World Cup Springboks were out injured when we went to the Sharks for our last game before lockdown kicked in,” he said, looking back at the Super Rugby competition proper.

“Then we had a period of six months of not playing any rugby (because of the suspension of all sport due to Covid-19), and I don’t think people out there quite realise what the effects were of that; the stresses and strains on the players.”

And Dobson added that the disruptions in local rugby because of Covid-19 were still very much being felt.

“Covid is still a big threat, and it’s being felt. One must also still remember these (WP) guys (and other teams) are still on big pay cuts and it’s going on longer than was initially thought. The anxiety levels are right up there,” he said.

“There is frustration, there are concerns about financial well-being… it has been a really tough year.”

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