Schoolboy rugby is almost back, however, some decisions on this front are leaving more questions than providing answers.
Friday last week, SA Rugby and the Georgia Rugby Union (GRU) announced that the planned SA Under-18 tour to Georgia had been called off due to the prevalence of positive COVID cases in both countries. The SA U18s were due to depart to Europe on Saturday for a tour of four matches next month, but following discussions between SA Rugby and the GRU, with inputs from the Georgian government, it was decided to call off the tour.
Friday, the SA Schools Rugby Association announced in anticipation of the DBE's "permission for schoolboy rugby to resume" that return to play restrictions will be imposed on rugby. Schools that continued with active exercising will be allowed to resume matches on 25 August 2021 while other schools will only be allowed to start matches on 11 September 2021.
SASRA also announced that SARU will no longer subsidise the u/16 Grant Khomo Week resulting in coastal and inland tournaments to be hosted by the Unions.
Follow our discussion as we are trying to make sense of all
The u/18 Craven Week will be hosted from 04 - 09 October 2021 at a venue still to be announced. Monnas was supposed to host the U/18 Craven Week before Covid19 once again interrupted. All 15 schoolboy rugby unions will participate while Western Province will have two teams attending.
On Sunday, yesterday the Department of Education gazetted regulations giving permission to all non-contact and contact sports to resume immediately. Several safety measures must be adhered to when resuming with the most important being that spectators are still not allowed.