Zigarwe doesn’t see rugby coming back soon

SPORTS administrator, Ezra “Ziggy” Zigarwe, believes it is going to take longer for sports codes like rugby to return to action due to the excessive contact nature of the discipline.

The experienced administrator is now a part-time athletics, cricket and rugby coach at St Johns Prep.

“Covid-19 has shaken all forms of life ,’’ he said. “One of the most affected industries is the sports industry.

“The industry thrives on interaction, camaraderie and teamwork of participants and patronage of spectators.

“So, how will sport look post-Covid -19? As for rugby, due to its excessive contact nature, I don’t see how it can be successfully played in the current format until a vaccine is discovered.

“For starters, in rugby, one ball is used by 30 players who will all handle it. That ball could be the source of virus transmission among the players.

“Should it be played wearing gloves so that the players don’t make physical contact with the ball? Passing and catching the ball is one of the skills in rugby.

“Rugby also relies heavily on scrummagging. It is done by the forward pack which consists of eight players per team and 16 players from both teams, for 15-man Rugby.

“For 7s rugby the numbers are reduced to three per team and six from both teams.’’

Football is making a return in some European leagues.

“The whole scrummaging system violates the principle of social and physical distancing,’’ said Zigarwe.

“When the ball is put into the scrum, the hookers try to hook it back to their team which tries to control it back to the eighthman whose head will be stuck between the hips of the two locks.

“The other team will be trying to also hook the ball or, alternatively, try to push the other team back or disrupt them from getting it out of the scrum effectively.

“This will have to go if rugby is to meet the distancing requirements and I don’t know if rugby would still be rugby.

“The whole game of rugby is a series of contacts.’’

Zigarwe says sport is life to many players and administrators.

“Until a vaccine is found, many people will lose their source of joy, income and, indeed, livelihood.

“I can’t imagine life without rugby. “For the first time, since I picked up the rugby ball at Dudley Hall School in 1980 up to now, I am in my 11th year of coaching since leaving the Olympic Committee in 2009.

“The other sports that I coach — athletics and cricket — will be affected but, maybe, to a less extent.’’