False start for some rugby clubs amid coronavirus concerns

Three of Saturday’s scheduled Energia Community Series fixtures were cancelled

There was a false start for some of the Energia Community Series clubs with three of Saturday’s scheduled fixtures cancelled due to Covid-19 concerns.

The Leinster Conference 2 games involving Navan and Skerries, and Tullamore and MU Barnhall, did not go ahead, while Omagh’s home clash with City of Derry in Ulster Conference 2 was pulled due to a positive test for one of their players.

The six clubs were awarded two match points each, with the IRFU Club Competitions Season 2020/21 Plan outlining: “Where the presence of COVID-19 in a club forces the cancellation of a match, the result shall be declared a draw and teams will be allocated two match points each and no score registered. No bonus points will be awarded.”

In the IRFU’s Covid-19 Suspected/Confirmed Case Response Guidelines, which are part of a very thorough ‘Return To Rugby’ section on www.irishrugby.ie, they advise: “If a club member tests positive, their training group/pod should remain closed and await advice from the Public Health Authority.”

A spokesperson for the Union said that “each case is different in terms of when teams return to competition based on timeline, case status, contact tracing, etc.” 

For Omagh, their positive case led to the cancellation of two senior games, including a pre-season friendly against Ballynahinch over a week ago. The Public Health Authority said the County Tyrone club cannot return to training until next Thursday — just two days before they are due to play Bangor in the Community Series.

With Dublin currently under Level 3 restrictions, competitive club rugby has returned to the capital with no spectators.

More live streams have been a positive development in allowing club members and supporters to watch the action as it happens, with the online offerings either free or with a €5 charge.