As many of you know, with effect from 7th September, social gatherings of more than six people became illegal in England, however team sports such as rugby league, with an approved action plan in place, were excluded from this rule meaning we were able to participate in some form of activity as a team.
Further restrictions were announced by Government at the beginning of this week stating that the “Rule of Six” would also apply to indoor team sports, but it would still be possible for larger groups to take part in organised team sports outdoors. With that in mind, we expected that training could continue in a socially distanced way as we awaited the approval to return to play.
However, as the cases in the community continue to rise, the RFL has advised it is not considered appropriate to allow the return of open age activity during October, November and possibly December, and we have therefore made the decision to postpone training until January 2021.
Given the positive effects on mental health and wellbeing, and the reduced risk of contact made between players of a younger age, the RFL has decided to also limit game activity to youth and junior groups only throughout October and November.
Whilst this will come as sad news, we must continue to be mindful of the potential impact of Covid-19 on our players, supporters and the wider community. There are currently no formal restrictions on training activity itself, but as cases continue to rise, we must respond accordingly and in the best interests of our team.
In terms of next steps, the intention is to continue to provide playing opportunities for all age groups throughout January, February and March, with the expectation that League activity can recommence from 1st April 2021, after the clocks have gone forward.
As a club, we aim to recommence training in January 2021, COVID-19 permitting.
We thank you for your continued support and would like to wish you all the best during this unprecedented time.