National rugby ban until May 2 as code takes harsh measures to stem the coronavirus scourge
A nationwide ban on all community and club rugby is now in force until May due to the coronavirus as the code acts in the interests of participants, families and the broader community.
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All community and club rugby has been cancelled across Australia until May due to the coronavirus in a move that could be echoed by all football codes in coming days.
Amid this unprecedented measure, Rugby Australia is still hoping to receive offers for its broadcast rights tomorrow, when the deadline for nondisclosure agreements to be signed is up.
The global pandemic is hardly ideal for all areas of society and business but Australian rugby, in particular, is facing the most dire consequences because it desperately needs the new broadcast deal to secure its future beyond this year.
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It is entirely possible that interested parties will place on hold any bids, and reassess their financial situation once the coronavirus crisis has passed — but that could take months.
In the meantime, Super Rugby clubs will continue to train as normal, despite the suspension of the competition.
There is some discussion being had about playing derby games that would not count towards Super Rugby points but would provide content to broadcaster Fox Sports, which has the option not to continue paying RA if there is no live content.
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Should the inbound Tests in July against Ireland and Fiji be cancelled, as is looking likely, and the two home Bledisloe Cup Tests against the All Blacks also be lost, RA faces a crippling financial situation and will require a government bailout. At the community level, all junior and senior rugby games and training are banned until May 2.
While the Australian government had not made that recommendation to sports, RA’s chief medical officer Dr Warren McDonald said the organisation wanted to give clear guidelines to the rugby community amid a time of confusion and panic.
Often at club rugby training sessions, juniors and seniors will train together and surpass the government’s “mass gathering ban” of 500 people.
Some rugby competitions run at schools, including the GPS schoolboys tournament, are not under the jurisdiction of NSW Rugby Union and can continue so will be left to make their own decisions.
Sydney’s Shute Shield competition faces cancellation if the virus causes a delay beyond May 2.
If it can kick-off then, it would look to play a shortened seven-week tournament.
“Following a meeting of the National Development Panel, Rugby Australia along with the state and territory member unions have unanimously agreed to postpone all community rugby until the first week of May, effective immediately,” an RA statement said yesterday.
“This recommendation covers rugby matches, rugby training and face-to-face rugby education courses.
“Although this decision has not been made lightly, it has been made with the interests of the participants, families and the broader community as the priority.
“In arriving at this decision, Rugby Australia and the member unions have considered public health information and the advice of the Rugby Australia chief medical officer, Dr Warren McDonald.
“The group acknowledges that this decision is a more conservative approach than has currently been recommended by the Australian, state and territory governments.
“However, it has been made to provide clarity to the rugby community in a challenging and disruptive time.”
In southeast Queensland, the suspension applies to the opening five rounds of the Premier Rugby competition, from first grade to Colts, while more than 11,000 juniors across the state will have no rugby to play.
GPS Rugby Club chief executive Anthony Herbert, the former Wallaby, said it was “a sensible approach to an alarming community-wide problem.”
He also explained the plan to save the season: “We are lucky we have the room to push back the last round of the competition by a month from late July to late August.
“We are all hoping it’s just a delay so we get to play the season but you can’t put your head in the sand and you’d want to see the (infection) numbers going down.
“At our club, we have 400 juniors training on a Friday night with twice as many parents so a pause makes sense (with the non-essential gatherings of 500 strategy).”
University of Queensland Rugby Club general manager Jason Greenhalgh said: “May 2 is a totally fluid start date but the plan to make up games may leave club rugby relatively untouched provided there is no virus influx into a club or competition.”
Schools Rugby governance will continue to sit with the relevant principal and associated administrations.
In Queensland, how the elite AIC rugby competition, won last season by Marist College Ashgrove, proceeds will be decided by the AIC hierarchy but the May 2-June 13 season currently sits outside the RA guideline period.
The GPS competition is not played until a third-term timeslot from July-September.
The recommended suspension would leave a window from May 2 through to September 12, preserved for local club competitions to be played, if circumstances allow, the QRU said.
“This moratorium on community rugby also allows the QRU time to plan at the community level and implement new participation/competition structures that would allow Queenslanders to participate in rugby within the designated window, should circumstances allow,” QRU chief executive David Hanham said.
Added Rugby Australia: “It is not the intention for this decision to interfere with the non-rugby related activities of our rugby clubs, such as operation of licensed facilities. Government advice should continue to be followed in this regard.”
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Originally published as National rugby ban until May 2 as code takes harsh measures to stem the coronavirus scourge