Safe return to rugby facility use, training & playing

Family life, shopping and going to a café have all been significantly affected by PST measures. In the same way, how you access Club facilities, return to training and ultimately return to play will be very different to what you are accustomed. This section includes advice on how you will need to alter your behaviours when attending Club training (including gymnasium), medical, rehabilitation and meeting areas (the team facility) under PST restrictions.

An infected individual may contaminate any surface, either by direct contact or via droplet spread. Risk can be minimised by adopting the measures below. These measures are recommended for your Club and yourself;

  • Use hand sanitisers regularly
    • At the training and playing facility hand sanitisers should be available on entry/exit and in all rooms.
    • At home you should also either sanitise or wash your hands for 20 seconds with soap whenever you go and come from your house
  • Avoid touching high-contact surfaces such as door handles, public computer keyboards etc.

Avoid use of communal areas such as changing rooms, showering areas and communal dining areas-in many cases these amenities will be closed. In the early stages of return to training, when PST measures are in place, please avoid use of communal facilities, when possible.

This document is aligned to the WHO guidelines, which recommends that the facility be cleaned each day after use. Clubs may not be in a position have such cleaning performed daily, meaning Club facilities would remain unavailable until cleaning can be completed.

Your actions will speak far louder than words, and will affect the health of yourself, your family, colleagues and friends. For coaches, the temptation to progress beyond the measures permitted will be an issue. The following section should be read and understood by everyone planning and managing rugby sessions under PST measures.