The coronavirus pandemic that has been sweeping the globe throughout the year has had far-reaching consequences on the way we live our lives. Every aspect of life has been affected, every industry, and every sport. We’ve seen rescheduled events, postponements, cancellations, and sports taking place behind closed doors. But life, and sport, must go on, and rugby is no exception. The Gallagher Premiership gets underway on Friday 14th August at Twickenham Stoop as Sale Sharks take on Harlequins. But this won’t be a return to normal for the Premiership – due to COVID-19 extra measures will be in place to minimise risk to players and staff in this most closely physical of sports. And aside from the differences inside the stadium, the teams will have a much busier schedule as organisers strive to play all remaining fixtures in the season. Let’s look forward to the resumption of the Gallagher Premiership.
The new normal
All sports that have resumed have done so under very different circumstances. We’re seeing EPL matches being played behind closed doors, and Formula One races with no spectators, and drivers and crews confined to their hotels when they aren’t trackside. Rugby will face measures to adapt to the threat of coronavirus, and games will be played behind closed doors – at this time with no certain date as to when the crowds will be allowed back in. This will no doubt affect the atmosphere of fixtures, and possibly the outcome. Energy from the crowd is a huge part of rugby – as the ebb and flow of the game changes, spectators respond, driving the team on. Football has experimented with simulated crowd noise, but somehow that won’t be quite the same.
Sale Sharks vs Harlequins
All eyes will be on west London on August 14th, as Sale and Harlequins restart the Gallagher Premiership season at Twickenham Stoop. Before the enforced suspension of the season, Sale were in good form, winning five of their last six outings, making them a slight favourite with the bookies. However, Harlequins have only lost to Sale once at Twickenham Stoop in 12 years, so don’t rule them out. It must be noted, though, that any momentum built up through the season thus far will likely have been lost, and with the suspension of training and general uncertainty of the times, anything is possible. When Sale and Harlequins run out it will be 159 days since the last Premiership match, and players may well have become rusty. Non-contact training was enforced for months, and teams only returned to close-contact training in early July, possibly not enough time to shake out all the cobwebs. But all teams have faced the same challenges, and both sides will be raring to go and determined to restart their campaigns with victory on August 14th.
New schedule
The match between Sale Sharks and Harlequins is only the first in a busy weekend of Premiership rugby, with four big games taking place on the following day. These include matches between Bath Rugby and London Irish, Bristol Bears and Saracens, and league leaders Exeter Chiefs taking on Leicester Tigers at Sandy Park. In order to complete all the remaining fixtures in the season, teams are facing midweek games, often with a four-day turnaround between each one. While the Gallagher Premiership organisers insist that all the players and staff are enthusiastic about this, it has been described by some as ‘brutal’. And in a game as physically gruelling as rugby, we are sure to see exhaustion creep in, as well as the potential for player absences through injury. Fans, however, will be treated to a relentless barrage of action, which will more than make up for the months without rugby.
COVID19 outbreak and measures
It has been reported that 6 Gallagher Premiership players have tested positive for coronavirus, discovered during a mass test of 804 people. 4 non-playing staff have also tested positive, and it is reported that all are self-isolating and monitoring their conditions. A rigorous testing regimen will be in place once the season starts, in line with many other sports. The repercussions of an undetected carrier in such a close physical game have made organisers extremely wary of a coronavirus outbreak. Temperature checks and tests will be carried out regularly, and distancing measures will be in place for teams and staff. And of course, no spectators will be in the stadiums in the near future. Organisers are hoping for the best, but clearly preparing for the worst, and have warned that all games for the rest of the year may well be played behind closed doors.
Despite the lack of a crowd to cheer, the restart of the Gallagher Premiership promises no lack of excitement. Sale Sharks against Harlequins pits two in-form teams against one another, a perfect way to kickstart the remainder of a season which promises to be as compelling as it will be hectic!
