Poorte ready to stomp the yard

In accordance with SA Rugby’s return to play protocols, which places player safety and welfare as key priorities, clubs have received the green light to advance from contact training to playing matches.

Roodepoort Rugby Club has gone through phase one and two of the South African Rugby Union (SARU) return to play protocol, and the club is expecting the go-ahead on 12 April to advance to phase three, which basically means they can play full-contact matches.

The Poorte players have been training since January and are approved for level three due to their great attendance of players.

“Play can resume, however players must go through phase 1 to 3 conditioning. This is exciting news for club rugby, and the time is now for the players that haven’t started to join in. Games are scheduled from 14 April until the end of September,” said Club Chairman Mathys Booyens.

Schools and club rugby received a massive boost on Thursday, 1 April as SA Rugby granted permission for the players to return to the field in April, following a one-year hiatus due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

While club teams received the go-ahead to return to play on Monday, 12 April, schools rugby will be able to resume with matches a little later, on Friday, 23 April.

The decision came as a result of the announcement by the Department of Basic Education to make an Amendment of Directions in terms of Regulation 4(3) under the Disaster Management Act 57 of 2002, published in Government Gazette No. 44339 of 27 March 2021, indicating that schools can resume matches and national tournaments without spectators, subject to compliance with the relevant health and safety measures.

The return to play is totally based on the provision that all Covid-19 protocols are strictly adhered to and that every club player must have completed the compulsory four-week non-contact training, and four-week contact training window.