Rob Baxter does not expect Premiership testing to continue too long

Exeter Chiefs director of rugby Rob Baxter is expecting the Premiership Rugby testing for Covid-19 to end within weeks.

The Premiership testing which is a part of the PCR Covid-19 screening programme has been in place since July with close to 15,000 tests conducted with less than 100 cases returning positive.

With no massive outbreak, Baxter reckons the medical team might be shifted to 'genuine medical reasons' more than testing for Covid-19.

“Maybe even within a matter of weeks testing is not deemed necessary.

“The reality is, when you look at the number of tests being made, and how few cases are being picked up, I don’t think we’re far off genuine medical reasons for not continuing with the testing.

“I think most clubs would be in agreement that what is being picked up and the actual transfer rates even around players who are testing positive are so, so small that I think the argument for continued testing will die away pretty quickly.

“There are a lot of reasons for it. It would save a fortune, it would free up a block of testing for other people and the transmissions.”

Exeter Chiefs will face Racing 92 in the final of the Heineken Champions Cup next month and have already secured the play-off berth in the ongoing season of the Gallagher Premiership.