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It is expected that the Minister of Basic Education, Angie Motshekga will announce the return to play of contact sports at schools in the next few days.
According to informed sources, it was decided that all contact sports can return to training and matches within the next few weeks by the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture.
SAFA has already announced on its website that amateur soccer can start training immediately with amateur football leagues and competitions set to kick off at the beginning of March 2021.
Schoolboy and amateur rugby, however, will be subject to a return to play regulation which will require four-week non-contact training and a four-week contact training periods before matches can be played.
Therefore, it is expected that schoolboy rugby and amateur matches will start during the weekend of 17 April 2021. All of the above will only be allowed under Safety and Health directives as per government regulations.
Although this is exciting news several logistical nightmares will also play a big role in especially schoolboy rugby's return to normality under strict COVID19 directives. Hopefully, the regulations will be made available to the schools as soon as possible.
This announcement comes in time for the Youth Weeks to still be played although unconfirmed sources claim that there was not made any provisions for the Youth Weeks in the SARU budget for 2021. One can only hope that festival organisers will all jump at the opportunity and reschedule their events as soon as possible. A third wave that is expected to start during the end of May could reduce the 2021 schoolboy rugby season to only two months, again.