Top Ad
I DIG Radio
www.idigradio.com
Listen live to the best music from around the world!
I DIG Style
www.idigstyle.com
Learn about the latest fashion styles and more...

Rob Baxter: Exeter director of rugby confident of no coronavirus outbreaks at clubs

Written by 
Published in Rugby
Thursday, 13 August 2020 01:10

Exeter director of rugby Rob Baxter is confident there will not be an outbreak of Covid-19 among Premiership clubs once the top-flight season restarts.

Fixtures have been suspended since early March because of the coronavirus pandemic and will resume on Friday, with games played behind closed doors.

The Premiership leaders will face Leicester Tigers on Saturday.

Baxter told BBC Sport he has "very little concern about cross contamination from team-to-team".

"You've got to look at the actual percentage of it in the population at the moment," he said.

"It's a tiny amount of the population, of those people how many have been tested on a regular basis? Well Premiership clubs have been tested twice this week already."

The subject was brought into focus after six players from rugby league side Hull FC tested positive for Covid-19 earlier this week.

Hull owner Adam Pearson told BBC Radio Humberside on Wednesday that one potential source of infection at his club could have come from an unnamed player having to take his sick child to hospital.

The player is reported to have been sent home from training after displaying symptoms of coronavirus.

Five of the players who tested positive featured in Sunday's Super League match against Salford Red Devils and the two clubs' scheduled fixtures this weekend have been postponed.

Top-flight rugby union clubs returned to non-contact training in early June and were allowed full-contact training a month later under strict bio-secure conditions.

Exeter have erected a marquee in front of the main entrance to Sandy Park for their opponents to change in, while the hosts use extra dressing room space inside the stadium in order to observe social distancing protocols before and after matches.

Baxter confirmed that no Exeter players or staff have tested positive for coronavirus, although one player who has a vulnerable family member has had to take extra precautions.

"We're all pretty much training and existing in kind of our own bubbles where really the only people inside, and even in distance contact with each other, are tested as negative," added Baxter.

"I think it's very simple for us, we're doing everything we can to make sure the people we're going to be in contact with on a rugby field don't have it.

"I don't think there's much more we can do, I think it's almost physically impossible to do much more than we're doing.

"One thing that has been proven is that although in rugby clubs over this last eight-to-10-week testing period there has been the odd case, there hasn't been an outbreak at any club despite being in phase two training.

"That should give us all a lot of confidence that we're not going to have mass outbreaks."

Read 251 times

Soccer

Weah sets up decider as Juve reach Coppa final

Weah sets up decider as Juve reach Coppa final

A late goal by striker Arkadiusz Milik -- assisted by United States attacker Timothy Weah -- sent Ju...

Sources: Liverpool consider Slot to replace Klopp

Sources: Liverpool consider Slot to replace Klopp

EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsLiverpool have identified Feyenoord coach Arne Slot as a leading ca...

Source: WCup winner Giroud signs deal with LAFC

Source: WCup winner Giroud signs deal with LAFC

EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsAC Milan striker Olivier Giroud has signed a deal to join LAFC from...

2026 FIFA


2028 LOS ANGELES OLYMPIC

UEFA

2024 PARIS OLYMPIC


Basketball

Injured Zion: Playoff return 'definitely realistic'

Injured Zion: Playoff return 'definitely realistic'

EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsOKLAHOMA CITY -- More than an hour after the New Orleans Pelicans'...

Police eye Jokic's brother for reported fan punch

Police eye Jokic's brother for reported fan punch

EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsDENVER -- The NBA and Denver police are looking into an incident in...

Baseball

Hendricks to IL; Cubs' focus is injury, then pitching

Hendricks to IL; Cubs' focus is injury, then pitching

EmailPrintCHICAGO -- The Chicago Cubs placed struggling right-hander Kyle Hendricks on the injured l...

Rangers' Scherzer set to make rehab start Wed.

Rangers' Scherzer set to make rehab start Wed.

EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsARLINGTON, Texas -- Texas Rangers right-hander Max Scherzer is set...

Sports Leagues

  • FIFA

    Fédération Internationale de Football Association
  • NBA

    National Basketball Association
  • ATP

    Association of Tennis Professionals
  • MLB

    Major League Baseball
  • ITTF

    International Table Tennis Federation
  • NFL

    Nactional Football Leagues
  • FISB

    Federation Internationale de Speedball

About Us

I Dig® is a leading global brand that makes it more enjoyable to surf the internet, conduct transactions and access, share, and create information.  Today I Dig® attracts millions of users every month.r

 

Phone: (800) 737. 6040
Fax: (800) 825 5558
Website: www.idig.com
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Affiliated