Hopes of rugby returning to our stadiums this year are slim — even if there are no crowds
Hopes are slim of the game being played again this year, even if there are no crowds
● Given the anti-social-distancing component in its DNA, rugby’s return to the playing field seems a long way off. The sport, however, amid the suffocating effects of Covid-19, is anything but passive in setting up return-to-play protocols.
The sport made representations to the government on Thursday as it seeks to have players return to training ahead of matches being permitted.
“In our presentation to them, we said we’d like them to consider the concept of rugby being played behind closed doors,” said
Clint Readhead, SA Rugby’s medical manager. “We understand there are a lot of government restrictions that need to be lifted before we get there. We don’t want to be lagging when that happens in terms of fitness and strength.”
As a sport that involves much human contact, rugby is unlikely to get the green light before the government eases its restrictions to alert level 1. For that to happen the country will need to flatten the curve of Covid-19 infections and for the health system to have the pandemic firmly under control. For those reasons, experts like sports physician Dr Jon Patricios have warned that rugby might not get the nod before the year is out.
“I don’t think it is going to happen this year. That is my opinion,” said Patricios, who was part of a group at Wits University that produced a list of return-to-play guidelines for various sports.
“It is going to be very difficult because it is going to be regulated by government,” said Patricios.
“We have to be realistic. Although we have decreased the gradient of the curve, we haven’t flattened it. It is certainly not going the other way. If you look at other countries, like France and Spain, that curve is now dipping. Australia and New Zealand are down to single-figure new cases a day.
“We are still going up and we will continue to do so the more people are exposed. It is not the end of the world as long as the hospital system does not get overburdened. In a month’s time the figures are going to be higher, not lower, so to make the decision to go back to sport is going to be exceptionally difficult if they stick to this strategy.”
Readhead believes those sentiments are more applicable to school, varsity and club rugby. “From a professional perspective, we can control things a lot better. Because of that level of control we may be able to play matches behind closed doors before alert level 1.”
Both men acknowledge they are dealing with moving targets and that everyone has to move with the changing landscape.
“Government don’t have anything [specific to different sports], that’s why we put out some guidelines,” said Patricios. “These guidelines are based on what we know about the virus and what government has told us. If government comes in a month and says we can open all sports clubs and schools, we will have to put new guidelines in place. This is a fluid situation that we need to keep re-evaluating.”
Readhead admits rugby has some convincing to do before it can return to competition.
“As long as government is saying that there will be no close contact, which is defined by spending more than 15 minutes within a metre of somebody, we just have to focus on what we can do now, like getting back to training. It is about controlling what we can. While rugby may not be considered as an industry ready to return to work during alert level 4, we can certainly meet the criteria.”
When rugby gets the go-ahead to return to competition it will more than likely be behind closed doors, in a sterile environment. Even then it will have to tread carefully.
“You have to have buy-in from everyone, including families. You have to be able to control movement to training, the ground, the match venue,” said Readhead.
On that score, he believes rugby has made huge progress. “Our Super Rugby and Pro14 franchises have match-day management committees that look at what our matchday operational plans will look like. We will look at the minimum number of people to put on a game.”
Ultimately, rugby needs to convince the government first. A provincial official sagely remarked: “We are a product of what government decides to do.”
To make the decision to go back to sport is going to be exceptionally difficult
Jon Patricios
Sports physician