Return to Rugby!

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Crouch Bind Set!

Last Tuesday the provincial government announced it is lifting many restrictions on outdoor team sport starting on May 30 allowing it to return in Phase 1 of the Re-Opening Road Map. The current restrictions on indoor sport and outdoor individual sport will remain in place until June 20 when the province reaches Step 2 in the Re-Opening Saskatchewan plan.

Please note that although restrictions have been lessened, It is important that we all continue to follow our guidelines and procedures in place to mitigate the risk and provide a safe environment for all participants.  Member organizations needs to use its best judgement and can also go above and beyond what is required in the government guidelines.

It is our sport’s time to show the rest of Saskatchewan that Rugby is safe, we have an excellent Return to Play plan and our members are the experts in our sport and can effectively manage the safe return of rugby in our communities while keeping everyone participating safe.

All 3 parts of our Return to Rugby Plan remains in place: Preparing to Return (including sanctioning process), Managing Return and Ensuring Safe Return.

Sask Rugby in line with Rugby Canada and World Rugby requires a 6 week progression of contact training be made available by each member club prior to participation in any full contact rugby competition. This is to allow all clubs time to follow the guidelines laid out by the World Rugby document linked below.

Beginning May 30, 2021 competition and game play for outdoor team sport can proceed with the following requirements:

  • Participants may not compete if they are feeling unwell.
  • Players and Coaches will be screened for Covid 19 Symptoms prior to arriving at practise and games, using the online Sportlomo system.
  • League play is allowed to resume; however, tournaments are not permitted at this time.
  • No interprovincial travel, teams competing in regional interprovincial leagues need to contact the Business Response Team prior to beginning play.
  • Capacity must be in compliance with the public health orders for public outdoor gatherings for each playing surface or game area. Public outdoor gatherings are set to expand to a limit of 150 people on May 30th as part of the Re-Opening Roadmap.
  • Water bottles should not be shared, when balls and pads are shared, cleaning and disinfecting must occur between use
  • Commonly touched equipment used for game play (eg Match Balls) is routinely replaced or disinfected during the course of practise or play
  • Coaches, officials, and players who are not on the field are not required to wear masks outdoors under the public health order. However masks may be worn if they are more comfortable with that layer of protection.
  • No shaking hands, high-fives, etc
  • Spectators not from the same household should maintain two meters physical distancing.
  • Spectators must remain in the designated areas. Masks are not required to be worn outdoors under the public health order but they may be worn if spectators are more comfortable with layer of protection.
  • Hand Sanitizers approved by Health Canada (DIN or NPN) or soap and water handwashing stations should be available for participants and spectators.
  • Public washrooms, when available, are cleaned and disinfected regularly, and soap and water or hand sanitizer is available.
  • Daily Attestations and Attendance tracking for coaches, officials and players should be maintained within SportLomo to assist with contact tracing for 30 days in case of a confirmed case of COVID-19.

There are some great resources available to help clubs manage both the physical and mental aspect of returning to contact rugby.  World Rugby Resource  and Coach Association of Canada through The Locker Leading Return to Sport ELearning HERE.

For more information on Saskatchewan Rugby’s Return to Play visit  https://www.saskrugby.com/rtpadmin/ and if you have any questions please contact our Covid Manager Sena Debia, covidmanager@saskrugby.com.

I wish all of you a safe and enjoyable return to rugby in Saskatchewan!

Jordan Astrope

Executive Director