Premiership Rugby statement

[Neils]

PRL man on BT with a Sale team photo behind him - when he played for them maybe?

[Brandnewtorugby]

Yep something like 100 caps isn't it... sticks in the craw a bit doesn't it.

[13thWarrior]

If Sale have 16 players with positive tests, how can any of their squad not be isolating due to contact tracing? Surely any players who played in the Saints game must be contacts of infected players (as Saints players from the game are), while in training etc through the week there must be further contact throughout the squad. I simply don't see how Sale can have 23 players not isolating.

[coddy]

I was willing the BT panel to ask the PRL guy have Sale submitted a playing squad of 23 who are fit and not law bound to self isolate. As far as I can see they haven't made their team for Worcester public.

[Neils]

If Sale have 16 players with positive tests, how can any of their squad not be isolating due to contact tracing? Surely any players who played in the Saints game must be contacts of infected players (as Saints players from the game are), while in training etc through the week there must be further contact throughout the squad. I simply don't see how Sale can have 23 players not isolating.

19 according to BT now

[MarleyWasp]

Not sure how Sale could be in a position to fulfill the fixture if Public Health England wouldn't give them the go-ahead myself.

[Bloke in North Dorset]

My take-away from listening to the PRL guy and Dimes is that they ended up in a situation that they hadn't planned for and had no choice but to postpone. I guess the lawyers were heavily involved.

[wasps]

Wouldn't subsequent negative tests negate the need for isolating?

I.e. if Sale have 23 players who have tested negative, and continue to test negative then do they legally still need to isolate?


The public at large need to isolate because we typically can't get tested when required

[MarleyWasp]

From. the gov.uk website:

Self-isolate for at least 10 days

You must self-isolate for at least 10 days if:

- you have symptoms of coronavirus and you tested positive, had an unclear result or did not have a test
- you tested positive but have not had symptoms

If you have symptoms, the 10 days starts from when they started.

If you have not had symptoms, the 10 days starts from when you had the test. But if you get symptoms after your test, self-isolate for a further 10 days from when your symptoms start.

Stop self-isolating after 10 days if you feel OK

You can stop self-isolating after 10 days if either:
- you do not have any symptoms
- you just have a cough or changes to your sense of smell or taste – these can last for weeks after the infection has gone

Keep self-isolating if you feel unwell

Keep self-isolating if you have any of these symptoms after 10 days:

- a high temperature or feeling hot and shivery
- a runny nose or sneezing
feeling or being sick
- diarrhoea
Only stop self-isolating when these symptoms have gone.

If you have diarrhoea or you’re being sick, stay at home until 48 hours after they've stopped.

[Marlow Nick]

Wouldn't subsequent negative tests negate the need for isolating?

I.e. if Sale have 23 players who have tested negative, and continue to test negative then do they legally still need to isolate?


The public at large need to isolate because we typically can't get tested when required

That's not how I understand it. It can sometimes take several days for an infected person to test positive so even following a negative test the protocol requires that someone exposed to an infected person still needs to self isolate. The only way I can see out of this is if all of the 19 positives retest as negative meaning the entire squad was actually clear which is highly unlikely since aparently the test is skewed to minimise false positives.

[NellyWellyWaspy]

Wouldn't subsequent negative tests negate the need for isolating?

I.e. if Sale have 23 players who have tested negative, and continue to test negative then do they legally still need to isolate?


The public at large need to isolate because we typically can't get tested when required

That's not how I understand it. It can sometimes take several days for an infected person to test positive so even following a negative test the protocol requires they still need to self isolate. The only way I can see out of this is if all of the 19 positives retest as negative which is highly unlikely since aparently the test is skewed to minimise false positives.

Public Health England say it can take up to 14 days to get a positive test after you contract it. Which is why a negative test is not so valuable. You then have to isolate for 14 days after contact with someone who subsequently tests positive, if your contact with them was in the 14 days preceding their positive test. Thus, for the 16 players and 3 staff who have tested positive, anyone who has come into contact with them in the preceding 14 days must self quarantine for 14 days, even if, during that 14 days, they test negative.

It looks like Sale, and maybe PHE are fudging that last bit. Nothing would surprise me. A very murky business this. This situation requires someone with backbone at one or both PRL and PHE to say, 'All you lot are in quarantine.' It requires a free press with backbone to stand up and hound them. Where is the Daily Mail when you need them? It would appear Sale are not willing to comply. There have been whispers that some of the team that played last Wednesday had symptoms, but didn't self-isolate and instead played. When the dust has settled, Bloodgate will have nothing on this.

[PestNproud]

PRL man on BT with a Sale team photo behind him - when he played for them maybe?

Seemed extraordinary that BT Sport panel didn't mention PRL Rugby Director Phil Winstanley's personal links to Sale -- not just 100 caps, but was also Operations Director there.

Thought Diamond looked really shifty on the call, too (and v subdued by his standards), possibly even ill himself. 

I feel sorry for Sale, as would be desolate if this had happened to Wasps, but there is no way they should have been able to get away with this.

[BarossaD]

My take-away from listening to the PRL guy and Dimes is that they ended up in a situation that they hadn't planned for and had no choice but to postpone. I guess the lawyers were heavily involved.

But they had planned for it - a club unable to field a team forfeits 20-0. To which clubs agreed.

[coddy]

I can imagine Bruce Craig being on the phone to his lawyers right about now.

[Shugs]

The obvious question for me is if Sale had 23 players negative and ready to go why was it postponed. Either they could fulfil the fixture or not? Still, leaves them definitely without those who tested positive, possibly without more positive tests and facing 2 games in 5 days. Personally I'll take a Sale BP win which would leave us facing a tired and depleted team in the semi.