Munster and Leinster stars undergo tests ahead of return

RUGBY’S return in Ireland will edge closer tomorrow when Leinster and Munster players will be tested for Covid-19 ahead of a return to collective training on Monday.

The provinces are stepping up their preparation with the season due to resume with a pair of interprovincial derbies at the Aviva Stadium on August 22.

The sport in Europe has been shut down since late February, with the Guinness PRO14, Heineken Champions Cup and Six Nations unfinished as a result of the pandemic.

If they get the all-clear, the two provinces will return to training on Monday. Connacht and Ulster are due back on Monday week.

Both provinces are working on plans to reduce the risk of infection, in line with other sports that have returned to training.

The IRFU is working with the Government’s ‘Return to Sport’ group on a path back to action and are hoping to get sign-off on their planned matches in the coming weeks.

Element

Players and high performance staff will undergo a Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) swab test, supplied by Cork-based company Advanced Medical Science. The test is the same as the one being used to test League of Ireland players and is understood to cost in the region of €100 per test.

“The PCR testing ahead of the return to the High Performance Centres (HPCs) is an important element of our Return to Training Protocols. All players, coaches and support staff will be tested before being permitted to enter their (High Performance Centres),” IRFU medical director Rod McLaughlin said.

“They will also receive Covid-19 education from our medical staff and education on the new protocols that have been put in place at each HPC to create a controlled working environment that greatly limits the risk of infection. The IRFU is co-ordinating and overseeing the implementation of the Covid-19 protocols across our five designated HPCs. We will be working closely with the HPC Covid Managers to support them.”

Results of the tests will be known in two to four days