Plan revealed for return of community rugby league

The RFL has identified four stages, aligned to the government’s five Covid alert levels.

On Friday, June 19, the UK was moved from alert level four to three, but the RFL remains at stage two of its plan.

That includes “virtual activity and small group fitness and skills sessions, non-contact, with social distancing measures in place”.

The RFL’s director of participation and development, Marc Lovering, said: “We’ve worked closely with Sport England and other sports to put a framework in place aligning the national guidelines and alert levels to the return of community rugby league.

“We hope the information we’re releasing today, after a meeting of the community board earlier this week, will help the thousands of players, coaches and volunteers who are so keen for the game to resume.”

Lovering stressed the RFL “continue to be led by government guidance and our own clinical advisory group”.

He said: “Progression through the RFL stages will only be confirmed when we are advised it’s safe to do so.

“Since the alert level came down from five to four we’ve been pleased to see the resumption of some rugby league activity in a community club setting, as per stage two of our return to play guidelines [which] involves small group activity evolving into team-based sessions.”

Lovering added: “We are expecting further guidance from DCMS [Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport] and Sport England, which we hope will allow a move from small group activity to more team-based activity from early July – although still with social distancing.

“Also, we shortly expect to receive further information about the use of indoor sports facilities, which is especially important for wheelchair rugby league as we aim to get those players back on court ahead of Rugby League World Cup 2021, even if they are initially restricted to fitness and skills activity.

“We will be issuing an update about physical disability and learning disability rugby league in the coming days, given the importance of retaining a focus on these areas of the game and ensuring that those players stay active in such challenging times.”

Stage three of the guidelines involves the possible introduction of touch, tag and X League and the partial return of low risk age groups to full contact.

“It is only at stage four, corresponding to the alert levels two into one, that we could envisage the return of full contact rugby league, possibly with rule adaptations, before the return of leagues and competitions,” Lovering warned.

“That remains some way off – but at least we are heading in the right direction.”

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