The temporary suspension of community rugby in the Cardiff and Swansea areas has been lifted, meaning training is now back up and running again in most parts of Wales.
This latest move follows the lifting of the suspensions in Caerphilly County, Rhondda Cynon Taf, Newport, Merthyr Tydfil, Bridgend and Blaenau Gwent.
Originally, the WRU had placed a ban on all rugby training in areas under local lockdown restrictions due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
With some two thirds of Wales’ population in lockdown, a vast number of clubs had to stop all on-field activity.
This provoked a strong reaction, particularly the shutting down of mini and junior rugby training, with a “WRU, let the kids train!” petition gathering thousands of signatures.
Now, one by one, suspensions have been lifted following a WRU review of the situation, in conjunction with the clubs within the respective local authorities.
This means teams of all ages in those areas listed can now resume training within the current return to rugby guidelines, if they feel they can provide a safe environment for players, coaches and volunteers.
Those guidelines permit skills and fitness-based sessions in small groups, with a touch rugby element also allowed.
As it stands, the temporary suspensions remain in place in the Vale of Glamorgan, Neath Port Talbot, Torfaen, Llanelli town and four north Wales areas - Wrexham, Flintshire, Denbighshire and Conwy.
Online Zoom meetings between WRU officials and club operations managers in those authorities are scheduled for this week to review the situation.
Pending new regulations covering travel for children to attend sporting activities, Welsh Government local restrictions still prevent players, parents and coaches from entering or leaving areas where local lockdowns are in place in order to attend training sessions.
Players and parents must also complete the symptom checker on the WRU Game Locker ahead of every training session.
WRU operations director Julie Paterson said: “We have taken a number of factors into account when reviewing this situation in these areas including Public Health Wales information, our own data and local intelligence around rugby clubs having consulted club operations managers and volunteers from all of the rugby clubs in these areas.”
WRU community director Geraint John added: “We are very grateful to the volunteers, players and parents for adhering to the protocols we have put in place in order to create safe environments for community rugby and we ask all concerned to remain vigilant as they return to the current stage in our Return to Community Rugby plan.
“The clubs in these areas feel they are in a good place to make a call as to whether to return to regular training at this time following a temporary suspension and in managing day to day activities at their club within the current guidelines.”
