SIX PREMIERSHIP PLAYERS have tested positive for Covid-19 with a further four non-playing staff also testing positive following official testing, Premiership Rugby has confirmed.
The positive results come from 804 tests on Premiership players and club staff on Monday as the English league looks to continue moving towards a return to playing on 15 August.
Premiership Rugby has not named the players, staff, or clubs involved in the positive tests but stated that those who tested positive and their “close contacts” will now isolate.
The Premiership clubs moved into ‘Stage Two’ of their resumption of collective training this week, which involved close-contact training in small groups and some scrum training.
The Premiership is due to resume its 2019/20 season on 15 August and these positive tests have not resulted in any announcement of a change to that plan.
“Premiership Rugby can today confirm that on Monday, 6 July, 804 players and club staff were tested as part of the PCR Covid-19 screening programme,” reads the Premiership Rugby statement.
“Of these, 10 people have tested positive. Of those 10, six were players and four non-playing staff.
“Players or club staff who have tested positive, and their close contacts, will now isolate and be assessed in line with the PHE-agreed guidelines.
“Premiership Rugby and the RFU are providing this aggregated information for competition integrity and transparency.
“The number of positive results will be made public after each round of testing.”
All four provinces in Ireland have returned to pre-season training in recent weeks, after 258 tests on professional players and staff returned zero positive tests.
Training in recent weeks in Ireland has involved daily health questionnaires and temperature checks.
Irish rugby plans to resume on the weekend of 22/23 August with inter-provincial Pro14 fixtures behind closed doors at the Aviva Stadium.
