The Press and Journal (Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire)
England captain’s rallying call for nationwide show of ‘togetherness’
Coronavirus: Hunter praises NHS staff while Farah ‘glad’ of Olympics delay
England rugby union captain Sarah Hunter has written an open letter urging people to embrace her sport’s spirit of “togetherness” in order to combat the coronavirus pandemic.
Hunter hailed the NHS workers who are on the frontline fighting the virus, and stressed the importance of staying mentally and physically active as the nationwide lockdown continues to stretch.
Writing on the England Rugby website, Hunter said: “Over the last week or so, I have seen and felt a sense of community and coming together of people looking out for and helping one another.
“Rugby’s foundations are built on core values of ‘teamwork, respect, enjoyment, discipline and sportsmanship’ and I strongly feel these values reflect how our country is living during these circumstances.
“In rugby we talk about the strength of the team being the collective rather than the individual and we are seeing the greatest form of ‘teamwork’ right now in how the nation is working together as one.”
Hunter continued: “To the NHS and healthcare professionals, thank you from the bottom of all our hearts for the amazing work you continue to do, you are the real heroes.”
Despite the continued cancellation of sporting events across the globe, organisers of The Open delayed an expected announcement on Thursday that the 2020 Championship would be delayed.
The 149th edition is due to start at Royal St George’s in Kent in July and R&A chief executive Martin Slumbers admitted that while no decision has yet been made, postponement is an option.
Meanwhile, Mo Farah is not allowing himself to worry about the cancellation of the Olympics and insists he will be prepared to race in Tokyo next year. The Games, scheduled for this summer, were postponed last week due to the coronavirus pandemic and will now be held from July 23-August 8 2021. That delay could cause concerns for athletes in terms of preparation but four-time Olympic gold medallist Farah says they have to now look forward and believes it was the right decision.
He said: “The Olympics was about the last thing to get cancelled.
“In a way obviously it’s disappointing it has been cancelled but I am glad it has been cancelled.
“In a way we could have been in a far worse situation, there are no races leading up to it, athletes can’t test themselves.
“I would probably need about six, seven, eight races beforehand to see what kind of shape I am in. But it is what it is and it gives us another year of preparation.
“We just have to get through this. It is a test for eveywhere in the world and it is growing.”
Elsewhere, the LTA has has announced a package of support worth around £20 million for tennis venues, coaches, officials and players in Britain affected by the coronavirus outbreak.
A statement from the LTA said the money will “aid those who have been most severely affected by the pandemic” with the focus on protecting the grassroots, although there is also support available to the professional game.
LTA chief executive Scott Lloyd and members of the executive team will take a 20% pay cut, while a number of staff are expected to be furloughed from next week.