Green light for Scots clash
THE rescheduled Six Nations match between Wales and Scotland will be able to go ahead next week despite the country going into a firebreak lockdown.
The Welsh Government has confirmed that elite professional sport can continue during the lockdown, which will run from 6pm this Friday, October 23, to November 9.
It means Wales’ rearranged Six Nations finale against Scotland can take place as planned behind closed doors at Parc y Scarlets on Saturday, October 31 (2.15pm kick-off).
Wayne Pivac’s Welsh team will also be free to travel to Paris to take on
France in a warm-up match this Saturday, October 24 (8pm UK time).
That’s despite a 9pm curfew having been introduced in the French capital in a bid to curb the soaring Covid-19 infection rate.
The Guinness PRO14 can also proceed here in Wales, with the Ospreys entertaining Glasgow at the Liberty Stadium on Saturday.
Similarly, the Scarlets, Dragons and Cardiff Blues will be able to fulfil their fixtures away to Benetton, Ulster and
Munster respectively.
In football, Cardiff City, Swansea City and Newport County can go ahead with their league matches this weekend, while Jayne Ludlow’s Wales side will play out two home Euro 2021 qualifiers against the Faroe Islands and Norway on October 22 and 27 respectively as planned.
Professional sport is allowed to continue as it is work and can’t be done from home, while players and staff are being privately tested for Covid-19 on a weekly basis, with strict safety measure being implemented.
Last week, 415 tests were conducted in Welsh rugby, with no positive results. In all, some 3,238 tests have been carried out over the past few months, with just three positive tests in total.
After First Minister Mark Drakeford announced the firebreak lockdown for Wales, the Welsh Government issued guidance on the situation with professional sport during the lockdown.
It said: “Sportspeople who work and earn a living through sport are allowed to continue working, and like everyone else they can leave home to do so if they cannot work from home.
“Fixtures involving professional sportspeople are allowed to continue behind closed doors. All participants, such as players, officials, coaches, and broadcasters, are there in a working capacity.”
All community, amateur sport and training is to be suspended during the firebreak lockdown.
People from different households are not allowed to gather at all to watch the Wales-Scotland match, which was originally postponed in March due to the coronavirus outbreak, and all hospitality businesses must close for this time period.
Mr Drakeford has ordered people to stay at home for two weeks to break the rapidly-increasing spread of coronavirus in Wales.