A whole host of Super League games have been postponed or cancelled in 2021 due to COVID-19.
With some of the rugby league fraternity criticising how such outbreaks have been handled, the RFL has responded in defiant fashion.
The governing body’s Chief Regulatory Officer, Karen Moorhouse, has explained just why so many fixtures haven’t gone ahead this season.
“Our testing regimes for COVID are broadly comparable with football’s Premier League and rugby union and they are approved by Public Health England,” explained Moorhouse.
“Our season was uniquely impacted by the Delta variant of the virus.
“The top 20 places in the country that have been affected by the variant are dominated by Rugby League towns and cities, so it’s not surprising that this is reflected in the sporting clubs in those communities.
“Our players are part of their communities, perhaps more so than Olympic athletes or Premier League footballers, who can wrap themselves in cotton wool bubbles.
“Our players have roles in their communities, such as having their children in schools, and so inevitably some will come into contact with the virus.”
Moorhouse also went on to say just how eager the governing body is to ensure that vaccination continues across the board in rugby league.
“The new rules on double-vaccinated individuals will ease the situation and players will be able to take advantage of that rule, although at this moment most players probably haven’t had time to have had both vaccinations, but when they do it will be massively beneficial for everyone.
“We will be reviewing in the off-season how our regulations will be amended, but currently we are on about the fifteenth iteration of our rules.
“This is a significant disease, which impacts different people in different ways with really serious health implications. We’ll do everything we can to mitigate its impact.
“But if you step back and look at the wider impact of COVID, we are not so significantly out of line with any other sport. I am really proud of our systems and processes as they impact on player welfare and I believe the regulations currently in place are right for our sport.”