Rugby far from the madding crowd

SA Rugby’s strategic guidelines advocate matches to be played in near-empty stadiums

● When rugby gets the green light in a more relaxed Covid-19 environment, matches are likely to be played infront of only 167 key individuals.

That is the magic number in the strategic guidelines and recommended operating procedure SA Rugby presented to the government. It advocates for matches to be played in sterile, near-empty stadiums.

Players, coaches, match officials, security staff, ball boys/girls, broadcast crew including six commentators, timekeepers, a scoreboard and big-screen operator, as well as a public-address announcer will be among the chosen few allowed to attend matches.

Part of SA Rugby’s representation was a plea to the government to allow professional rugby to resume as soon as it is safe to do so.

SA Rugby also sought to emphasise the financial aspects of early resumption.

Should rugby get the go-ahead all involved will have to toe a strict line.

Players, coaches, officials and support staff will be faced with almost endless screening, social distancing, sanitising and daily temperature checks at entry points to facilities.

Players will use their own water bottles and refrain from spitting or emptying nasal cavities during training, limit mobile-phone use and travel alone in their own vehicle unless it is with someone with whom accommodation is shared.

Travel holds particular peril and to that end several measures have been put in place to limit the risk of exposure.

Apart from the playing squad, only essential staff/coaches will travel with teams. Where reasonably practical, teams will use chartered flights, and minimise the duration of travel and stay.

If teams have to stay overnight, players will get individual rooms, thus breaking a time-honoured custom of sharing with a teammate.

Teams will, as far as possible, avoid airport departure lounges.

The representation to the government included a plea from CE Jurie Roux.

“We believe that if we apply the strict protocols and play behind closed doors — only at the elite professional level — we perfectly fit the risk profile as described in your government’s document,” Roux writes.

SA Rugby’s plea does not include the resumption of school or club rugby. The former falls under the department of basic education. It is unlikely rugby will again be played at those levels this year.

Instead SA Rugby’s plea for a relaxation would apply only to their 14 provincial affiliates and the Springboks.

The plea plays on the emotion of the SA public being deprived of the opportunity of seeing their world champion Springboks defend their status.

Roux’s letter had an almost Churchillian element: “In any war, there are casualties — and we are clearly on a war footing. Against that background the fate of a mere sport may seem to be of little significance. But we would argue otherwise — it embraces the dimensions of morale and emotion.”