Munster players test negative for Covid as URC games postponed
A Munster Rugby squad training session in Pretoria, South Africa. Picture: INPHO/Gordon Arons
Munster’s match against the Bulls in Pretoria this Saturday has been officially postponed as a result of the new Covid-19 variant spreading in South Africa.
URC organisers are now working with the four visiting clubs – Munster, Cardiff, Scarlets, and Zebre – to facilitate their return home as soon as possible.
“Due to the sudden developments connected with the new Covid-19 variant (B.1.1.529) that have immediately placed South Africa on the UK and EU travel red lists, the scheduled Round 6 and 7 United Rugby Championship fixtures set to take place in South Africa over the next two weekends have been postponed and will be rescheduled later this season,” a statement read.
“This decision is based upon the latest guidance against non-essential travel to and from South Africa, the ban on direct flights to the UK and other home destinations and the potential hotel quarantines enforced upon those returning from South Africa.
“As has been the operating practice throughout the pandemic, the URC will continue engaging with our Medical Advisory Group, our union shareholders, and respective governments to plan according to the latest health guidelines.
“A period of assessment will now be required to better understand the impact of these new travel restrictions and how to reschedule these games within the current season. Given the nature and speed of these developments, URC will provide further updates at the appropriate time through official channels only.”
It is understood that there is a possibility the matches could be rescheduled during the Six Nations, but it’s once again become evident just how quickly matters can change due to the unpredictable nature of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Earlier this year, the British & Irish Lions tour to South Africa was beset with uncertainty due to a dire third wave in the country, but ultimately went ahead behind closed doors.
Following on from the latest update from the URC organisers, Munster confirmed they are in the process of getting the touring party back to Ireland as soon as possible.
"Overall, the training week in Pretoria went well and the squad returned negative PCR test results in this week’s routine testing that had taken place ahead of Round 6," a Munster statement read.
Head coach Johann van Graan had earlier this week confirmed the squad were being tested on a daily basis in South Africa.
Scrum-half Craig Casey had only just arrived in Pretoria before any announcement, and will now join the squad as they look to make their way back Ireland as soon as possible.
The latest postponements are a further blow to the cross-hemisphere competition, which welcomed the “big four” South African franchises to an expanded and rebranded, 16-team URC earlier this year.
The Covid pandemic has caused nothing but disruption, however, with last season’s Rainbow Cup designed to introduce the Bulls, Lions, Sharks, and Stormers to the European audiences undermined by travel restrictions while the newcomers were forced to play their opening five rounds of the new URC this autumn away from home.
This month’s two rounds would have given the quartet the opportunity to play their first matches on home soil although contingencies had been in place to stage the games in Italy. Now the late decision to switch them back to South Africa has backfired as the unpredictable Covid-19 virus has taken another unexpected turn.
The weekend’s United Rugby Championship matches in South Africa, including Munster’s match against the Bulls, are set to be postponed following a new Covid-19 outbreak.
Munster have found themselves in the provincial epicentre of a worrisome Covid-19 outbreak in South Africa, with the large majority of the 2,465 new Covid-19 reported in South Africa on Thursday having been detected in Gauteng.
Both Welsh teams who were in South Africa, the Scarlets and Cardiff, have already confirmed they are seeking routes out of the country as new travel bans continue to be enforced.
It’s believed that Munster - as well as Italian side Zebre - are also currently working on contingency plans of their own to make their exit from South Africa, with the country having already been placed on the UK’s travel red list.
The World Health Organisation is currently convening an experts' meeting from Geneva at 11am (Irish time) on Friday to assess the new Covid-19 variant B.1.1.529 amid growing concerns that it could be the most serious “super variant” to date.
Munster’s match was thrown into further doubt on Friday as the noon deadline for team announcements passed with no word from the competition organisers.
All four games scheduled in South Africa this weekend are set to be called off following the detection of the new variant, with the resulting potential imposition of travel restrictions and return of mandatory hotel quarantine on arrival back in Ireland.
There are as yet no travel restrictions for EU citizens and Munster’s last official statement on Friday morning said: “We all are safe and well in Pretoria. We are working with URC on the ongoing situation relating to Covid-19 & will provide an update once we know more.”
The UK dramatically announced on Thursday night that travellers from South Africa, and neighbouring countries, would be barred from entering England, while Israel, Germany, Singapore, and Japan have since followed in those footsteps, imposing travel bans and flight restrictions on South Africa.
In terms of the impact on the United Rugby Championship, the dramatic turn of events has left teams scrambling to gain clarity on the situation, and to hastily organise flights out of South Africa as the need arises.
Munster were scheduled to play the Bulls on Saturday, but the Pretoria-based team postponed their team announcement press conference on Friday, as did the Sharks and Stormers.
It’s a sure sign of the uncertainty facing the tournament, and it’s now expected to be only a matter of time before an official announcement is made confirming the two rounds of fixtures in South Africa will not go ahead as planned. They could apparently be rescheduled for a date during the Six Nations next year.
This weekend, Zebre were also scheduled to play the Stormers, Scarlets had been in line to face the Sharks, while Cardiff were in Johannesburg preparing to tackle the Lions on Sunday.
Munster’s match against the Bulls was set to be followed by a clash against the Lions next weekend, while they are due to play in a European Champions Cup match against Wasps in Coventry on December 12.
Scarlets issued a statement on Thursday night that said they were “making every effort to get our touring party back home to the UK as soon as possible”, while Cardiff Blues are making similar arrangements to return to Wales in order to avoid the mandatory two-week quarantine that will come into effect in the UK from Sunday. Failure to do so would mean their playing squad would be unable to fulfil European fixtures with the Champions Cup and Challenge Cup due to begin on the weekend of December 10-12.
Specifically in Gauteng, as of Thursday night, the 1,950 new cases represented the biggest single-day increase since 13 August, with 707 patients in hospital and 55 in ICU.
Ironically, the two rounds of matches in South Africa were originally due to be played in Italy due to Covid issues, but they were then switched back once the country was taken off the UK's travel red list in October.
This weekend was also set to represent the first time supporters were allowed back into South Africa's rugby stadiums for such a high-profile set of fixtures, albeit with crowd limitations of just 2,000 attendees.
In golf, four Irish golfers are among 16 players to have withdrawn from the Joburg Open, the opening event of the DP World Tour (rebranded from the European Tour). Jonathan Caldwell, Niall Kearney, Paul Dunne, and Cormac Sharvin are seeking to leave the country amid the new outbreak.
Cricket Ireland have said they are in discussions with the International Cricket Council and Government about the current ICC Women’s World Cup Qualifier in Zimbabwe.
The Ireland team are currently based in Harare and have played two matches in the group stage of the tournament, with their next match scheduled for Monday. After the side’s win yesterday over the Netherlands, it is likely they will progress to the Super 6 round, where matches are currently scheduled for December 1, 3, and 5.
Warren Deutrom, Cricket Ireland CEO, said: “We are very concerned about the latest developments regarding the reported new Covid variant in southern Africa as we have our women’s squad currently in Zimbabwe playing a World Cup Qualifier.
“While the circumstances around travel restrictions and health advice is a fast-moving one, we have been in close contact with the ICC, the Irish Government, and sports bodies in both jurisdictions to better understand the facts, and to properly inform and reassure the squad leadership.
“Our decision-making will be first-and-foremost based on the health and safety of players and support staff. We will provide updates as soon as we can.”
CONNECT WITH US TODAY
Be the first to know the latest news and updates
