Guest Blogs

How COVID-19 is still impacting the rugby world

on

More in Guest Blogs:

When COVID-19 first hit, no one could foresee what it would have in store for the sporting world. It started with closing stadiums to fans, before even that was deemed not enough, and sport altogether was halted. Football, Rugby, Golf, Boxing, you name it, any domestic competitions, and even the cross-continental ones were postponed.

Slowly but surely though, we saw sport returning, albeit in a different way than we’re used to. More games were aired on television because fans couldn’t attend. That meant no atmosphere though, no extra man in the stands to cheer the ball across the line for a try, or to spur on the defence to stand strong and not let the opposition break through. They tried to recreate the sounds for those watching on TV with artificial noise, but it wasn’t quite the same.

Eventually news broke of a vaccine, and the future looked brighter. And for a time, it was. Fans were welcomed back to stadiums with open arms. Their songs were heard from the stands in full chorus. It started with restricted numbers, and over the weeks we were finally treated to stadiums packed to the rafters, with obvious health and safety guidelines in place in order to protect everyone as best as possible.

So where are we now? Is COVID-19 still having an impact on the UK Rugby scene?

Sadly, yes it is. Despite how far we’ve come, the pandemic is still not over, and we’re still seeing sports impacted by this virus. Sure, it may not be as bad as it once was for some, but it’s still far from ideal. So let’s take a look at the latest impact that COVID-19 has had on the Rugby world.

Games being postponed

Nobody wants to see games postponed, but sadly it is still happening across sports, with positive cases of the newest COVID-19 variant on the rise. Fortunately, it is deemed less impactful on people’s health, but it is far more contagious, meaning it is spreading more quickly. As such, many clubs have had games postponed in recent weeks.

One of the most recent games that were called off was the Boxing Day clash between and in the . A number of tests in the Sale camp came back positive the day before the game was due to take place, with none of the players who tested positive being confirmed.

However, a Premiership Rugby spokesperson did announce the reason for calling the game off: “Our priority is the health and safety of everyone involved with Sale Sharks and Newcastle Falcons and we will give the clubs any support they need. We wish everyone affected a full and speedy recovery.”

Not all teams have been as fortunate though, with Bristol Bears refusing to agree to have their Champions Cup match with Scarlets rearranged. As such, in the end, the Scarlets were forced to forfeit the game and earned themselves a 28-0 win without even needing to step foot on the field. A little harsh considering what we’re going through? Maybe. Especially since Welsh clubs haven’t had it all that easy so far.

Wales on Lockdown

As happened through most of the last year or more, the restrictions in Wales were much different to those in . In fact, the Welsh have had a much tougher time of it with Welsh First Minister, Mark Drakeford, quite often imposing measures many people feel are over the top. One of his most recent announcements was about limiting the number of fans who can attend games, much like those restrictions seen as sports made a return to normality.

People stuck to the new rules, abiding by measures put in place. However, TV personality Piers Morgan pointed out just how stupid these new measures were. Because at Virginia Park, home of Caerphilly RFC, at their under-30s versus over-30s match scheduled for Boxing Day, there were 50 fans in attendance, which was fine by Drakeford’s new rules. But what confused people was the fact there were 140 people inside the clubhouse also watching the game.

So where it is safer outside being in an open space, you’re allowed less people than inside, where the virus can spread more easily according to scientists? Yeah, we don’t get it either.

COVID-19 to impact Six Nations squads

And it isn’t just the domestic competitions affected, it’s looking like COVID-19 will continue to impact international games in 2022 as well. That follows news that French President, Emmanuel Macron, declared that in sport, all players will need to be double-jabbed if travelling to play in . This isn’t just for Rugby, but for all sports.

Meaning the likes of Eddie Jones could have a headache in planning for the 2022 Six Nations tournament, being restricted by those players who remain unvaccinated. This could also potentially have an impact on who wins the tournament, with teams potentially weakened for any ties they are scheduled to play in France.

This could be a big reason as to why France are now favourites to win the tournament at odds of 6/4, although their odds of getting a Grand Slam are slightly higher at 7/2. England are the team most likely to challenge for the title, with their best odds being at 11/4, before (9/2), Wales (6/1), (11/1) and Italy (1000/1). But the news that teams heading to France, which are Italy, Ireland and England, could be weakened recently, that could all change.

If you’re unsure of where to back your favourites for the tournament, check out this Bovada Sportsbook review, where you can learn all about the pros and cons of using such a site. Including how the user experience is viewed, their depth of sporting coverage and answers to frequently asked questions.

Final Words

As you can see, COVID-19 is still having a massive impact on the sporting world, and especially Rugby. There is so much still going on, and in all honesty, we have no idea when it will end. No one does. But what we can guarantee, is this is probably not the last you’ll see of this pandemic causing havoc to Rugby fixtures, if fans can attend or not, and whether certain players are eligible to play based on different countries managing COVID-19 in different ways.

 

 

Leave a Comment