Rugby Union to return in October

Jamaica Rugby Football Union Chairman Jerry Benzwick says that his administration has discussed restart protocols and is aiming to resume the season in October.

As the COVID-19 pandemic caused global sports to come to a sudden standstill, sports are beginning to move towards a certain level of normalcy.

Benzwick and his administration are discussing the safety regulations that are required to provide a smooth-sailing resumption for union rugby this year.

“We have gone through our restart protocols,” Benzwick told The Gleaner. “However, we are generally off-season in the summer and will look to restart in October.

“We haven’t sent out any guidelines yet to say that these are the safety protocols put in place, but we are working on that for the upcoming season.”

Similarly, St Catherine Thunder Cats Rugby Club President Anthony Johnson says he is hoping that the season resumes soon.

Potential Restart

“I am looking forward to a potential restart of the season in September or October,” Johnson said.

“The season ended prematurely because of COVID-19, so I’m pretty excited that we might get a go at the game again.”

Additionally, Benzwick said that the Ministry of Sports has not given the JRFU the approval to allow teams to play rugby. However, teams are allowed to train and prepare for the upcoming season.

However, if any form of training should take place, they must take the necessary precautions to ensure the safety of all stakeholders.

“We haven’t gotten the go ahead from the ministry and, therefore, no rugby should be playing right now,” Benzwick said.

“Teams are allowed to train once they recognise that there should be no form of contact.”

As COVID-19 creates uncertainty in global sports, many are still concerned that it will be difficult for this contact sport to comply with all the safety regulations imposed.

Young Crocs Rugby Academy captain Delano Jarrett says every aspect of the sport requires some form of touching, including plays such as tackling and the scrum.

“I think because rugby is a contact sport, it will make it very hard to facilitate the new safety regulations such as sanitisation and making sure unnecessary contact doesn’t happen,” Jarrett said.

“Every aspect of the game involves two persons and most times large groups from both teams coming into contact with each other.”

Johnson agreed that the idea of the virus being contracted by the players made him uncomfortable about a possible restart of the season.

“With COVID-19 being a threat, I initially had the concern that someone may contract the virus and allow it to spread in the camp,” Johnson said.

However, there is a possibility that the ‘new normal’ regarding rugby will require teams to play without any form of contact taking place.

“World Rugby (the global governing body) hasn’t implemented any changes regarding any standards, but there was a conversation regarding taking the contact aspect out of the sport, but it is not final as yet,” Benzwick said.

Athena Clarke