Yahoo Finance Players in the Premier 15s could be tested for Covid-19 when league returns later this month
Players in the Premier 15s could be tested for Covid-19 when the league returns later this month after it emerged the option is being “considered” by the Rugby Football Union.
Last week, the RFU suspended its flagship women’s competition for a fortnight in the wake of the deteriorating public health situation.
Players had been following adapted law variations designed to reduce face-to-face contact – such as limited scrums and 35-minute halves – before the league was paused. The RFU had sought clarification with Public Health England over whether the adaptations were sufficient. PHE said it was “comfortable” for the elite amateur league to continue, although additional options are now being explored to bring in lateral flow testing for players. Rapid or lateral flow tests provide Covid-19 results in 30 minutes, although concerns have been raised about their accuracy.
An RFU spokesperson said: “Testing is something being considered. Public Health England are happy for us to continue under adapted laws and regulated training and continue without testing, but we are looking into testing options to add a measure. We are using this break to explore approved lateral flow testing to complement adapted laws and regulated training and other intensive protocols and are working on how this may be implemented.”
The Premier 15s is expected to resume on the weekend of Jan 30-31, although that could be pushed back depending on the public health situation. There had been a growing sense of unease that player welfare was being jeopardised with no Covid-19 testing provision in place in the league, which falls under the Government’s interpretation of “elite” sport and can therefore technically continue during lockdown.
