IRFU HAVE IT COVERED

Medical chief confident as virus testing begins

THE IRFU are prepared for positive Covid-19 tests in the coming days and weeks as Munster and Leinster got the testing programme started yesterday.

The Munster playing staff were tested at the province’s UL base, while their Leinster counterparts went through the same process in UCD.

“Surprisingly easy and efficient test,” tweeted Leinster and Ireland prop Cian Healy. “Fears were greater than reality.”

His colleague Rob Kearney added: “Things are starting to move nicely now!”

Both provinces will return to training on Monday.

The IRFU’S programme is being run by Advanced Medical Services, who have also looked after the testing of four SSE Artricity League clubs – Dundalk, Shamrock Rovers, Derry City and Bohemians – who have so far not had any positive tests.

However, IRFU medical chief Rod Mcloughlin, inset, says the Union have prepared for that outcome if it occurs.

He said: “We would expect, given the experience of Covid-19 in the community, that we might have a small number of Covid-19 cases across the whole system.

“What we’re trying to do is lower the risk and then training in such a way that if it happens, their close contacts are a very limited number and only those people who have been in contact with them will have to isolate.

“The first week, they’ll be brought in in groups of seven with one coach, it’ll be the same seven every day and no group will interact with another group,” explained Mcloughlin.

“In week two, we’ll amalgamate two groups and that will become 14. Two coaches will work with that group.

“What we’re doing is trying to minimise the risk as much as we can. We can’t remove 100 per cent of the risk but everything we’re doing is designed to ensure the players and our staff can return to work safely.”

Mcloughlin added: “The majority of players are very keen to get back but understandably there may be some others who have specific concerns.

“No player will be forced to return to training and if a player does contact us with concerns, they will all be addressed individually. We have established a medical committee who will advise any player who has concerns.”

The players have had 10-12 weeks of working at home, the focus now is on making sure they return to a safe environment. “There have been huge preparations,” stated Mcloughlin.

“We’ve really had to examine everything we do from the beginning to the end of a training day, through the perspective of how we mitigate or lessen the risk of spreading and transmitting Covid-19. “We’ve had to introduce well over 20 new medical protocols around our normal daily activities within the HPC facilities.

“Each step along this process is as important as the next.”