Rugby Returns in Nova Scotia: First XVs Games in Canada Since COVID
Bryan Kelly, the former Rugby Canada media person and now the Communication Manager for the region, Rugby Americas North, could barely contain his excitement. He tweeted out:
“Incredible #ThanksgivingSunday today playing in what could be the first full 15s game in Canada (TBC) since Covid-19 & my first match for @TarsRFC. Well done everyone on making it happen”
Yes real rugby is back in the Maritimes. Basil Crosbie reminded him in a tweet reply that, “NL played 15s last week”, NB may even be in on the action. The difference with the NS game, it hit the mainstream media. Global News ran an article and a video. The article with video is here: https://globalnews.ca/news/7392014/coronavirus-first-rugby-15s-2020-ns/. We’ve also appended the article below.
What about BC. Sadly, no, only touch rugby is currently allowed by the BCRU. BC’s recent daily increase (October 9th) was 119 COVID cases. Nova Scotia have only had 5 new cases since the beginning of October.
However of those 119 recent COVID cases in BC, 96% of them were from Fraser Valley and Vancouver. The Island, Northern and Interior regions only accounted for 4% of that figure. The Island region has had 16 new cases in October, Fraser Valley 542 and Vancouver 314. If decision making was passed down from the BCRU to the Regional Unions as an LSO, Local Sport Organization, it would allow for decision making based on regional statistics.
We see this in other contact sports such as hockey where the Vancouver Island Junior Hockey league started their season on October 1st. The VIJHL accommodated the viaSport guidelines by the creation of cohorts that “group specific teams to play against each other to reduce the need for travel and to mitigate the extra risk of infection”.
Hockey and Rugby are grouped together as Group C sports, “Sports with frequent or sustained contact”. At the present all regions in BC are governed by the BCRU’s interpretation of viaSport guidelines which allows touch rugby only.
Global News Article
Sept. 18 may have just been another ordinary day for many Nova Scotians, but for those in the sports world, it was a game changer.
The provincial government announced that gathering limits would increase to 50 without having to physically distance for sports, performing arts and other organized physical activities.
That announcement immediately sparked a concerted effort by the Nova Scotia rugby community to forge ahead with a return-to-play plan that was safe and public health approved.
Rugby is back in Nova Scotia, with the first rugby 15s match of 2020 played in Nova Scotia on Oct. 11, 2020.
Right from the get-go, when everything got shut down, Rugby Nova Scotia had a never say die attitude, so they kind of kicked it off and even just getting onto the practice field was a lot. I didnt even think we were going to get to play a game of 15s, to be honest, but right now, we did it, and super stoked, said Mark Williams, the president of Riverlake RFC.
The planning culminated with a game between Riverlake and Tars RFC at Range Park in Bedford, N.S., on Sunday in the first 15s match to be played on Nova Scotian soil this year.
Williams told Global News that once the province announced its relaxation of gathering limits in Sept., he wasted no time getting his club involved in completing the necessary protocols that would allow players to get back on the field.
Through the leadership of the Rugby Nova Scotia COVID-19 Committee team, clubs like Riverlake had clear guidelines to follow that were also endorsed by Rugby Canada.
Each club that signed on had to complete a safety plan that included methods for contact tracing and COVID-19 screening.
The rugby community in Nova Scotia has worked hard to develop a return-to-play plan that was safe and public health approved.
Jack Hanratty, the provincial coach for Rugby Nova Scotia, praised the efforts of Williams and the Riverlake RFC club in setting an early example for how clubs could still enjoy a modified season.
Its been a lot of hard work by the community, by our clubs and I want to just congratulate the efforts of all the clubs in Nova Scotia, but it really was led, the first club that did all their protocols, all their return to play, was Riverlake RFC and it was fitting that today, Riverlake got to kick (us) off again, Hanratty said.
The special game of 15s was organized between Riverlake and Tars RFC, but a full regular season isnt possible for the remainder of the year.
Its been a long time coming, we were hopeful. The reason its come is because a lot of people around here have sacrificed and stuck to the rules and were able to gather in groups of up to 50 and because of that we can play rugby. So, its pretty awesome, said John Gillis, a Tars RFC player who has been with the club for nearly two decades.
Rugby back
Williams says strict protocols were in place for both spectators and players to participate in the 2020 debut match.
Everybody has to sign an electronic attestation and keep attendance so we know whos here. And if theres any need for contact tracing, we can give that to public health without any delay, Williams said.
For a tight-knit community that continues to grow in talent and numbers, Hanratty was thrilled to see the first step taken towards a sense of normalcy back in the sport.
Once the whistle blew, everybody felt like they were back to normal and the spirit of rugby in Nova Scotia was certainly alive and well.
A senior rugby 10s tournament is next up on the rugby agenda, hosted by Truro Saints RFC and running over four weekends.
The first date of the 10s tournament is Oct. 17.