I think it’s time to call all rugby finished

A meeting is scheduled this week to talk about a phased return of sport.

Taking part in the meeting, hosted by Sports Minister Joe Fitzpatrick, are the Scottish FA, the SPFL, Scottish Rugby, Scottish Racing and sportscotland.

The First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon, has indicated that matches behind closed doors might be possible, but not any time soon.

Rugby has been suspended since March, when the Covid-19 pandemic began to take hold in Europe.

But already a number of competitions have been declared completed, even though some of the outcomes were still to be decided.

The SRU declared the club season null and void, which was understandable.

However, it attracted the ire of Biggar and Dalkeith, both of whom were being denied promotion.

There are varying degrees of complexity in rugby’s case, depending on the competition concerned.

The Champions Cup quarterfinals have been delayed at least until September, after the French Government banned all sport for the next four months.

Edinburgh are involved in the second-tier Challenge Cup.

If these competitions were concluded in the autumn, that would have a knock-on effect on the 2020/21 European competitions, which are due to begin on October 16.

There is also the Pro14, where Leinster top Conference A, while Edinburgh sit on top of the table in Conference B, albeit with fewer points than Leinster.

Dave Rennie, the outgoing Glasgow coach, said it would be hard not to award Leinster the title, given that they are so far ahead of the pack on points.

Edinburgh coach, Richard Cockerill, may have something to say about that.

There is also player welfare to consider, and Dr James Robson, the

SRU’S chief medical officer, pointed out some of the challenges that players would face in a return to play.

They have to get individually fit and conditioned, then there is the work that groups have to do – forward and backs as units – before finally the team gets together.

Overlay the lack of contact and physicality that is absent during the lockdown, and the lead- in time to match play is considerable – once a positive decision to return to play is taken.

Taking all of this into consideration – alongside the uncertainty surrounding how and when lockdown will be lifted – would it not be simpler and more straightforward to forget this season?

Write it off, in order to prepare properly for a sensible and safe return to play come some time in the autumn.

Of course, the decision may be driven by financial considerations in which case common sense may not prevail.

We shall see.