Let’s hope that the local rugby authorities are able to keep Covid in check

Has the dreaded Covid-19 got the potential to disrupt the South African rugby season for a second time this year?

There was great delight when the local season finally kicked off four weeks ago after six months of isolation, but in just the last few days a total of 11 players had to be withdrawn from the Super Rugby Unlocked series due to Covid-19 protocols.

The Lions alone have had to deal with the news of nine players being affected by the virus, resulting in the players being pulled from this weekend’s action.

However, only four players actually tested positive for Covid this week and were isolated from the rest of the squad. The other players were withdrawn because of precautionary measures after they had been in contact with the positive cases.

One of the Lions players who has had to go into isolation is lock Willem Alberts, who was withdrawn from the squad prior to the match against the Stormers in Cape Town last weekend. He had been in close contact with a person who had tested positive.

The Stormers, too – following the game against the Lions – have been hit by the virus, with Springboks Scarra Ntubeni and Steven Kitshoff removed from the side for this weekend’s trip to Nelspruit.

The official word is that they had to be put in isolation due to Covid-19 protocols because, similarly to the Alberts case, they were in close contact with a person who had tested positive.

It’s surely not a coincidence though that all these players are from the Lions and the Stormers and they just happened to have played against each other last weekend in Cape Town?

Now the question has to be asked; what about all the players and staff these players had already been in contact with, before being found to be positive?

The Cheetahs might also ask the same question ahead of their Unlocked fixture against the Lions in Johannesburg on Saturday.

While all measures have no doubt been taken to ensure the safety of all involved in the matches involving the Lions and Stormers this weekend, the opposition players, but possibly also the players from the Lions and Stormers, may be forgiven for wondering “what if.”

Because, even though all measures would have been taken last week before the Lions and Stormers match in Cape Town, this week several positive cases were reported. What it proves is nothing is certain and that every time players step onto the field, against another team, there is a chance that the virus could spread.

These are the times and circumstances we live in, and we can only hope that the virus doesn’t get out of hand and that rugby in this country has to be halted again.

Rudolph Jacobs

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