Rugby union struggling to cope with new measures

ESTABLISHING Covid-19 measures for rugby union in Papua New Guinea is a challenge due to the nature of the sport, according to a medical official.
PNG Sports Foundation (PNGSF) chief medical officer Dr Kapua Kapua said government policies on social distancing and hygiene remain a major concern for the 15-a-side code.
“A lot of what we want to do is dependent on government regulations,” he said.
“First, we have to get permission from the PNGSF management and secondly, we have to keep within the restriction of 100 people.
“So the restriction doesn’t leave much room for big sports like rugby union.
“We hoping PNGSF can clarify gathering restrictions for sports,” he said.
“We need the restriction to be eased in order for rugby to be viable and we need crowds to support our operations.
“As for rugby Covid-19 protocols, there are some measures put into place to mitigate risks.
“The main thing is decreasing the amount of contact or exposure to others.
“So we have to look a training in small groups where there is less contact drills unless absolutely necessary.”
Following the lifting of the state of emergency, most restrictions have been eased with consideration on a few areas where social distancing and basic hygiene are paramount.
Meanwhile, Kapua is calling on the PNGSF management to clarify how the new National Pandemic Act will affect sports.