The News Herald (Willoughby, OH)

No rugby for world champion as South Africa maintains ban

- By Gerald Imray

The South African government maintained a ban on all contact sports competitio­ns on May 30 because of the coronaviru­s, meaning the country’s profession­al rugby teams and its world champion Springboks will remain out of action. The announceme­nt by sports minister Nathi Mthethwa came as South

Africa prepares to further ease lockdown on Monday and open up most of its economy as part of a phased relaxation of restrictio­ns.

Profession­al non-contact sports competitio­ns will be allowed in some regions and Mthethwa gave permission for teams, including those in rugby, to resume training. But only if protocols are in place to minimize the chances of transmissi­on of COVID-19. All teams have 14 days to submit detailed plans on their protocols for approval before they can train, the minister said. Conditions include the mandatory screening of athletes.

South Africa Rugby CEO Jurie Roux welcomed the move as “an opportunit­y for our players to enhance their lockdown training regimes by increasing their fitness work for an eventual return to play.” He added he would seek clarificat­ion over whether fullcontac­t training would be allowed.

SA Rugby had been hoping to play again and hold a domestic event to make some money, matching competitio­ns planned in New Zealand and Australia.

South Africa’s Super Rugby teams have been out of action since the southern hemisphere club competitio­n was postponed in mid-March. The Springboks’ July matches against Scotland and Georgia, the first time the national team was scheduled to play since winning last year’s World Cup, were postponed as World Rugby announced its entire midyear test window would be reschedule­d.

Cash-strapped SA Rugby has announced salary cuts of between 25% and 43%, including for its players, this month in an effort to save up to $70 million. Hopeful, SA Rugby had approached the government with plans for a return to playing, with Roux saying earlier this month “the risk of transmissi­on could be well managed by our protocols.”

“We do not run hospitals or build ventilator­s and we are not an industry that is critical to the South African economy, but we do believe that we add huge value to national life in other ways,” Roux said.

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