South Africa teams to resume full contact training from next week

South Africa players will be able to resume full contact training from next week after the restrictions set to ease following the pandemic coronavirus.

The sport in the country has been suspended since March with the outbreak of Covid-19 and in July the clubs were given permission to begin non-contact training.

With Kings pulling out of all competitions for the remainder of the year, the South African board has been planning a local tournament involving their four Super Rugby teams along with Cheetahs, Griquas and the Pumas before the year ends to make amends for the financial crisis created due to disruption of the 2020 season.

“The teams have been hard at work with non-contact training for the past five weeks, and once a final COVID-19 test has been passed, they will be able to step up a gear next week,” SA Rugby chief executive Jurie Roux said in a statement.

“We are moving in the right direction, and I would like to urge all rugby supporters and members of the wider South African rugby family to bear with us as we plan the way forward for the next couple of weeks.

“With the guidance of Government and working very hard with our various stakeholders, we’ve knuckled down and plotted our return to competitive action, which is getting closer every day. But we’re also very mindful of the pitfalls associated with this and we know things can change overnight.”