With our area moving into Tier 3 from Saturday 19 December, we’ve had more rule changes to take into consideration in running our rugby club. Safety, as always, is paramount.
The good news is that adapted contact training and games are still permitted (with all the required hygiene, track and trace, and safety precautions strictly adhered to).
The bad news is that the rules about spectators and facilities have tightened up.
Please note the following:
- Our clubhouse bar and kitchen cannot open. (Please be aware that we have checked that even if food and drink is taken outside, it does not qualify us as a takeaway premises, as it is not leaving our grounds). This means no teas or coffees or hot-dogs for the minis and youth teams on Sunday morning.
- Parents/guardians of young players also need to be aware that from Saturday only ONE adult can be present per child. All the previous social distancing rules apply.
- The club cannot open its changing rooms as the social distancing and cleaning requirements would mean that it would effectively take hours for all players to use the facilities.
- The only facilities that will be available inside are the toilets. Social distancing and hygiene requirements must be adhered to when entering and leaving the club. Masks must be worn inside.
The move to Tier 3 will also have an effect on some of our members who live further afield. Please note:
- Adult players can ONLY travel within their own specific Tier 3 area to train or play. They CANNOT travel into another Tier 3, nor into a Tier 1 or Tier area to train or play.
- RFU guidance is that age grade players (due to Government exemptions for U18s) can travel across tiers to train or play, although they strongly recommend that they stick to the same rules as adults, and as a club we agree with this recommendation.
We will, of course, keep you informed about any further changes. Thank you all again for your patience and help in keeping everyone safe and making sure rugby can remain up and running, albeit not quite in the same way as usual!
For more information, you can access the RFU’s helpdesk, which goes into much greater detail, here.
We are still at Stage E of the Return to Rugby Roadmap, which you can access here (or see the picture below).
