Updated at 17.51
THE GAA HAVE accelerated their return-to-play roadmap at pace with the government, with pitches to open for non-contact adult training from next Wednesday, 24 June.
Non-contact training for age groups from minor down will commence from Saturday, 27 June.
Further government rules must be adhered to: counties in the Republic of Ireland are limited to a maximum of 15 players in a designated area of the field, while the six counties are limited to 10 players per designated area of the field.
These new protocols were recommended by the GAA’s Covid-19 Advisory Committee, and have been endorsed by the GAA along with the LGFA and Camogie Association.
All players and participants in training must complete an eLearning module and follow control measures in place.
Contact training and challenge matches will be allowed in the 26 counties from Monday, 29 June, with the GAA awaiting guidance from Stormont on when teams in the six counties can resume contact training. In the meantime, they must maintain non-contact training.
While next week’s training sessions are for participants only, these rules will be relaxed from 29 June in line with government advice permitting a maximum of 200 people in the ground.
Club fixtures can be staged from 17 July, and there has been no change made to the slated inter-county dates: a 14 September start for training, with competitions to begin on 17 October.
Dressing rooms are to remain closed until 20 July, while the Advisory Committee are considering the position of other buildings including gyms, handball alleys and club bars serving food, with guidance on these expected by 29 June.
The full details of the updated GAA advice can be read below.
From this week:
- Open pitches for Adult training next Wednesday, 24 June.
- Open for Minor and below from Saturday, 27 June.
- Both of the above on a non-contact basis and on the understanding that players and all participants have completed the eLearning module and are following the control measures in place (health questionnaire etc).
- On the basis of a maximum of 15 players in a designated area of the field (26 Counties) and 10 players in a designated area of the field (6 Counties).
- Coaching numbers for underage teams to be consistent with Code of Behaviour.
From 29 June
- Allow contact training and challenge games for all from Monday, 29 June (26 Counties).
- We await guidance from the NI Executive in relation to Six Counties – non-contact training in the numbers outlined above in the interim.
- We also await clarification on what will constitute a close contact versus a casual contact.
- Restriction on participants only attending training sessions to be relaxed from June 29th – subject to government specified maximum of 200 people in the ground.
- Allow Club Fixtures from Friday 17 July.
- No change to inter-county dates (14 Sept for training; competitions to start on 17 Oct 17 as planned).
- All control measures for players, coaches and other team personnel (completion of health questionnaire, eLearning education etc) is to remain in place until advised otherwise; dressing rooms to remain closed until 20 July 20.
- The Advisory Committee is considering the position in relation to other GAA buildings (such as Club bars that are serving food, Gyms, Handball alleys etc). Guidance will be provided in this context before 29 June.
Ruddock Leavy Heaslip O Brien Van der Flier Murphy Fardy Conan Deegan Leinster back row strength is unreal If carlsberg did backrows they would probably not be as good as Leinsters
Rare to see two players joining straight from school in Aungier and O’Sullivan.
I just don’t know how Leinster are going to keep all these backrows happy but I hope they do.
The talent level being brought through is amazing.
@Gustave H: the great thing is the talent is flowing to the first team and beyond so they must know the way to keep them all happy.
@Gustave H: Let Ulster sign them to let them get game time.
@Christiaan Theron: I don’t think it’s a case of letting them. They want to stay and fight for their place.
From what I heard Ulster went in heavily for Jack Conan and he’d no interest.
@Gustave H: True. There’s one or two that would want to do a serious bit of thinking though. It’s admirable wanting to earn the starting spot here, but playing week in week out and in Champions Cup games in Ravenhill would stand to them more than a few Pro12 games during the Six Nations. It’s a short career, and waiting in line didn’t work out for Ryan or Madigan.
Some of these kids should go on loan to Ulster and London Irish
@Aidan O: They don’t want to.
@Lf: Shows how ambitious they are. Every player knows they have to play regular on the 23 for a province to get capped.
@Christiaan Theron: You’re right Christian, it does show how ambitious they are. Instead of moving to another lesser side backing yourself to get into a team packed full of talent that’s more likely to challenge for trophies shows serious ambition and confidence.
@Christiaan Theron: Heaslip, O’Brien, Leavy, Murphy, Van der Flier, Conan and Ruddock. All Irish internationals
@Oval Digest: You mean like Marty Moore and Ian Madigan now presently lost to the Irish national side.
@Christiaan Theron: did James Ryan not get capped for Ireland before playing for Leinster?
@Christiaan Theron: Haha those support my point! Both stayed and were in the Irish squad, when they left they were found out a bit and left out.
Why would you want to head to Ulster or London Irish if you were an ambitious, talented player from Leinster?
If anything, it would show a lack of ambition to move.
@Christiaan Theron: Ulster should try developing their own players instead of relying on Saffers and other provinces.