Training protocols have been designed in accordance with Government Alert Level 3 requirements with NZR and the three Provincial Unions prioritising the health and wellbeing of players, staff and the wider community.
Key training protocols include:
- Training groups are restricted to a maximum of ten people, including players and staff and 60 minutes in duration.
- All training must be contactless with physical distancing of at least two metres maintained at all times.
- There will be no sharing of equipment (including rugby balls).
- Each training group trains separately with a minimum 30-minute gap between one group training and the next arriving at the same outdoor facility.
- All players and staff have been tested prior to returning to training.
- Contact tracing and daily symptom checks (both player/staff and household) are required before a player or staff member can attend training sessions.
Steve Lancaster, NZR General Manager of Community Rugby said:
“The place of work for professional rugby players includes the training field and gym and these protocols have been developed in strict adherence to the Alert Level 3 settings and in collaboration with the three Auckland based Unions and NZR to help our players return to work albeit in a very limited capacity.
“Our goal is to help our teams be as well prepared as possible for a return to the Bunnings Warehouse NPC once Auckland has moved to Alert Level 2, whenever that may be.”
The three Auckland based teams have been unable to return to the Bunnings Warehouse NPC, with the region currently operating under COVID-19 Alert Level 3. The Government’s next Alert Level announcement is scheduled for Monday 4 October.