British Columbia Rugby League – Return to Play

BCRL Releases Its “Return to Play” - The Return of League

Vancouver, BC, Release: Tuesday, July 7th , 2020.

For Immediate Release

The British Columbia Rugby League (“BCRL”) Board of Directors approved its “Covid-19 Return to Play” guidelines and protocols which formulate and express its process for getting back to playing League.

The BCRL Board has been diligently working over the past few months to gather and synthesize information in order to create the “Return to Play” to ensure that we are ready to get back to the pitch in a safe way. The Return to Play is a document that balances the obligations and desire to protect the Rugby League community, and the general public at large, while encouraging and facilitating the maximum participation of members safely and as is permissible by government authorities.

The Return to Play was developed through reliance on a number of documents including:

Provincial Guidelines from WorkSafeBC, the BC Health Authority, and ViaSport;

Federal Guidelines and Guidance documents;

Municipal Guidelines such as the BC Recreation and Parks Association and municipality guidelines such as “Restart Smart Vancouver”; and

Sport Related Guidelines including “Own the Podium”.

As the opportunity to return to sport increases, the Return to Play serves to demonstrate best practices and mitigation strategies to create minimum standards for the safe return to Rugby League. The Return to Play does not supersede guidelines, orders, or protocols established by Health Authorities or Government at the municipal, provincial, or federal level.

Paul Fogerty, President of the BCRL stated: “We want to get back to playing Rugby League however, we have to do this in the right way to ensure the health and safety of our players, spectators, and volunteers but also to ensure a sustained Return to Play. The Return to Play has been developed to ensure that the right protocols are in place to allow us to get back to activities in a safe environment. We must continue to follow and adapt to the guidelines set by the experts that are leading the response to COVID-19. We must also not overlook our position here in B.C. and the fact that we are fortunate to be able to start this conversation and the Return to Play process to allow us to get back to playing Rugby League”

“The BCRL is not foreclosed from the possibility of a return to any competition this year. We will continue to monitor the recommendations and orders of the health authorities and governments. If circumstances allow and we are permitted to do so, we want to be ready to hold our Rugby League 9’s Tournament in 2020,” said Shaun Driver, Secretary of the BCRL. “Ultimately, the ability to do so is outside of our control. We will defer to authorities and rely on their guidance in advising when, and if, contact competition with reduced participants is allowed. But, the Return to Play makes sure the protocols are established so that the BCRL can take advantage of any ability to play as soon as we are permitted to do so. For now, we keep a watchful eye on things. We will be ready to go,” he continued.

Additionally, the BCRL has a special commitment to its women players this year. The Rugby League World Cup is scheduled for October and November 2021. The national team, the Ravens, enters the tournament as the 5th ranked team in the world and a large number of potential players are members of the BCRL.

Ben Hickey, Director of Rugby for the BCRL said: “We want our women to have the chance to represent their country. That means making sure they have the opportunity to practice safely. We need to get them on the field and these protocols allow us to determine the scope of permissible activity that both protects them from Covid-19 while giving them an opportunity to train to represent Canada.”

“As one of the women in BC who is hoping to earn a spot on the World Cup team, we are excited to have the opportunity to start up again soon. Our health is a priority when training for things like team B.C. and Canada Ravens. With the return to play guidelines, training can resume in a way that makes us feel safe and comfortable,” said Kaila Pickering.

The Return to Play is a living document. A number of aspects of returning to play are uncertain and the guidelines are anticipated to change as safety procedures and protocols are announced.

We invite our members and participants to share details or concerns that may not be addressed in the Return to Play.

The Board of the BCRL has been exceptionally active with changes off the pitch as well and exciting announcements are anticipated over the coming months. “We’ve tried to use our time without games on the pitch to prepare for further growth of Rugby League in B.C. and are looking forward to releasing some of that information in the coming months,” said Paul Fogerty.

Moving forward, our clubs will not be permitted to participate in training activities until such time as they have participated in a workshop that will particularize their obligations in adhering to our Return to Play and have sufficiently demonstrated their society documents are in order. A workshop is currently scheduled for July 9, 2020.