IRFU Welcomes HSE Recommendations of a Return to Sport for Children and Adolescents

The IRFU welcomes news from the HSE Health Protection Surveillance Centre on recommendations for the return to sport activities for children and adolescents.

Summer camps are a formative part of our children’s physical and personal development. Our provinces will work within the guidelines that have been set out to create offerings that everyone can look forward to.

Formal announcements will be made on these in due course, but we are confident that our 2020 summer camps will be as enjoyable as any that have gone before, regardless of any limitations around contact elements of rugby.

Rugby is about using space and perhaps that has never been more important. We have a wide range of non-contact forms of the game to offer and they blend perfectly with a focus on fun and skill development for boys and girls of all abilities.

Furthermore, the IRFU and its provinces have remained committed to safety since the outbreak of COVID-19. Parents and guardians can be assured that all appropriate public health measures will be put in place and strictly adhered to.

We are returning to rugby step by step with safety in mind. We welcome this step and look forward to any further updates that will allow the return of non-contact forms of the game for adults.

The first critical stage for our clubs to return safely is the completion of a risk assessment and safety plan along with the appointment of Covid-19 Safety Officers and Compliance Officers.

Clubs operating in Northern Ireland will be updated based on the NI Executive Coronavirus Recovery Plan.