Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
RUGBY STARS’ RETURN IS PUT BACK TO NEXT MONTH
THE IRFU has told players that it will be next month before they can collectively return to training.
Under the Irish government’s roadmap to lift restrictions, non-contact small group team sports training is permitted to begin again on June 8 and that could be the new date for a resumption.
Next Monday had been the date originally pencilled for the provinces to return to training. But following discussions with government officials that has been shelved and professional
players will continue to train remotely until directed otherwise.
According to the roadmap, rugby – as a close contact sport – must wait until August 10 before matches will resume.
But that will only be the case if the previous four steps of the planned phased return to normality are successful.
Champions Cup and PRO14 chiefs are still planning to finish their respective seasons in September and October, but Ireland’s summer tour of Australia is axed and hopes of playing a series of Tests in the late autumn remain in doubt.
Sport Ireland will decide by the end of this week whether to appeal Munster and Ireland prop James Cronin’s one month suspension for an antidoping violation.
Meanwhile, Munster coaches have been using the Covid-19 lockdown to try out of this world methods of improvement.
Backroom staff recently participated in a workshop with professional storyteller Clare Muireann Murphy – who works with the British theatrical society and with different scientific groups and NASA.
“In particular, we wanted to focus in on how she works with NASA,” said Munster’s lead performance analyst George Murray.
“Largely it was based around scientists having all these amazing ideas they want to implement, but not being the best at getting it across.
“Another angle of her work is around the power and history of storytelling – how it influences people’s memory. A large part of our week is coaches presenting to the players around what we want to do. We probably don’t think about how we do it enough.
“It was helpful to see how we can develop as speakers to help many different personalities to remember the most important messages.”
Staff have also spoken to Brisbane Broncos Head of Performance Paul Devlin, who played for Munster from 2004-06.
The Broncos return to action in the NRL this month.