SA Rugby give schools and clubs green light to play again
It is, however, not yet known if there will be any major schools rugby weeks later in the year.
Jacques Stander of the Leopards U18 team in action during the 2019 Craven Week at Grey College in Bloemfontein. Schools have been given the go-ahead to start playing rugby again, after a year of inactivity. Picture: Carl Fourie/Gallo Images
Schools and clubs have been given the green light to play rugby again.
That was the good news given by SA Rugby on Thursday, following a one-year hiatus due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
While club teams received the go-ahead to return to play on Monday, 12 April, schools rugby will be able to resume with matches on Friday, 23 April.
The decision was made following an announcement by the Department of Basic Education that schools can resume matches and national tournaments without spectators, subject to compliance with the relevant health and safety measures.
It is not yet known, however, whether the annual provincial rugby weeks, like Craven Week, and normally held in the June-July holidays, will take place.
Much would depend on the regular testing of players and officials, quarantine periods and whether playing in a bio-bubble in one venue is worth the risk or not.
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In accordance with SA Rugby’s return to play protocols, which places player safety and welfare as key priorities, clubs have received the green light to advance from contact training back to playing matches.
However, this is based on the provision that all COVID-19 protocols are strictly adhered to and that every club player must have completed the compulsory four-week non-contact training and four-week contact training window.
Schools rugby players, meanwhile, may resume contact training for four weeks – following six weeks of non-contact training – with the vision that they return to play at the earliest on Friday, 23 April.
“We were delighted to receive the news that schools rugby can recommence as announced by the Department of Basic Education, and we share in the schools and club players’ excitement to return to the field,” said SA Rugby CEO Jurie Roux.
“However, we will not take any risks. Player safety is of utmost importance to us, and as the custodians of rugby in South Africa it is imperative that the return to play protocols that were followed by our professional teams be applied at schools and club level as well.
“The fact that these players have missed out on a year of their rugby development, with some of them having missed the crucial Under-16 age group, which will see them being thrust into the Under-18 and Under-19 age group, makes it critical that every precaution is taken to ease their transition back into rugby.”
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