LIMPOPO – Rugby in Limpopo is governed by the BBRU and they fall under the South African Rugby Union (Saru) which regulates the game of rugby union in South Africa.

After the outbreak of the corona virus (COVID-19), President Cyril Ramaphosa yesterday declared a national state of disaster in terms of the Disaster Management Act. Ramaphosa said it is essential that we minimise the risk of the spread of this virus by limiting contact among groups of people.

This has resulted in various sporting codes having to postpone or cancel matches and tournaments.

Willem Strauss, President of the BBRU, released a statement to inform all parties who form part of the union, about the measures instructed by Saru to the respective unions in each province. These measures include that all schools rugby training and matches have been cancelled until 14 April. This is in line with the dates announced by the president.

Community rugby training and matches have also been suspended until 14 April and players are encouraged to train on their own. The union advised that although group training may start on 14 April, matches should however only start from 25 April until further notice.

The Gold Cup is the only Saru tournament where a Limpopo club’s team participates in and this competition is currently being assessed. “The cup will most likely not continue as community rugby is being suspended and will leave very little time for qualification. A final call on the tournament will be made in May.”

The statement adds that the union encourages social distancing and supports the following measures:
– Gatherings of more than 100 people will be prohibited;
– Where small gatherings are unavoidable, organisers will need to put in place stringent measures of prevention and control.

Review contacted Attie Buitendag, Manager of amateur rugby in Limpopo, who confirmed that all organised rugby events in the province will be suspended until after Easter weekend.

“SA Rugby and the unions will then revise the situation and decide how the matches will be rescheduled or if they will take place. Everything depends on how the virus affects the country and we can only hope for the best,” he said.