SRU meets with sports minister to discuss return of rugby behind closed doors

Rugby chiefs met with the sports minister and medical experts yesterday as they sought to plot a return for the sport in Scotland.

They were told elite rugby should be able to resume behind closed doors when the country moves into the second phase of the four-phase

“route map” out of lockdown. Phase one began yesterday when people in Scotland were able to meet their friends and family outside.

The SRU described the meeting as “very productive” but no potential dates were given for rugby’s return. The “route map” out of lockdown is assessed at least every three weeks, with the next review scheduled for 18 June.

Minister for Sport Joe Fitzpatrick and Scotland’s national clinical director Professor Jason Leitch met with the SRU’S chief executive Mark Dodson, chief operating officer Dominic Mckay, pictured, chief medical officer Dr James Robson and group head of stadium operations Claire Harkness.

Mckay said: “It was a very productive meeting and Scottish Rugby welcomes today’s acknowledgment by the Minister for Sport, Mr Fitzpatrick and Professor Leitch that we can continue to develop our plans for our professional players to resume training in due course with a view to games potentially taking place when professional rugby resumes in line with Government advice. We also had a further discussion on grassroots rugby and how we can use our current learnings to address some of the challenges faced with restarting the community game.”

Fitzpatrick said: “We understand the importance of sport to the people of Scotland, and the desire of many to see it resume. If we are in Phase

Two of our pandemic route map and suitable health protection measures are in place, then elite football and rugby should be able to resume behind closed doors.

“As we are currently unable to say exactly when Phase 2 will commence, any proposed dates for resumption behind closed doors must be provisional and subject to wider public health considerations.”