The National Clinical Director of the Scottish Government has defended their approach to a positive test in rugby amid accusations that the sport was shown preferential treatment.
An Edinburgh Rugby academy player broke regulations and tested positive for Covid-19, but Edinburgh Rugby are being allowed to travel to France for their European Challenge Cup quarter-final against Bordeaux.
Following breaches by Celtic's Boli Bolingoli and eight Aberdeen players, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon warned Scottish football that she was handing out a "yellow card".
Chris Sutton is among those who feel football and rugby are being treated differently, with the former Celtic star tweeting: "So the Scottish government and Jason Leitch quick to call off and football matches when football players break the rules but if it’s the rugby boys breaking the rules let them play on..."
Speaking on BBC Scotland's Off The Ball, Leitch said: "Social media has not been particularly kind to me in the last 24 hours with the suggestion we overplayed the football version and underplayed the rugby version.
"I think there are some key differences but the basics are that somebody who had been given privilege, who was allowed to do something extra broke the rules and the regulatory body, the SPFL or the SRU will deal with the rule-breaking.
"My job is to protect the public health of those around the team.
"We reviewed training footage. We looked at video and reviewed GPS and looked at what training had been.
"The key difference is these were Academy players, they weren't first team Edinburgh rugby travelling to France players to be in the first team this weekend for example.
"The public health advice from NHS Lothian was that it was safe for the first team to continue.
"I have had discussions with the SRU and the Chief Executive Mark Dodson and he was more angry than me.
"Those individuals are young boys and they will be treated sensitively but I don't think Rugby Union is going to miss them."
