https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/54421879" rel="nofollow - https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/54421879

Is this good news for community rugby of the male variety? If the adaptations allow non professional players resume playing surely NCA clubs and below should consider this route.

Whilst this is good news that this area of the game is restarting. 

The honest question is how long do you think its going to be before one player tests positive and then the rest of that squad have to spend 14 days in Isolation?

Its not an issue if you are a full time pro, but from what I understand not all sides are full time. Many contain sports teachers in their ranks. 

Believe me I want Saturday rugby back as soon as, but I honestly think this is going to become a major issue inside 3 weeks of the restart!

Also have they thought how you travel to ares that are in lock down at present!

Yet the RFU are restarting Womens rugby at the weekend, with .. No testing just a temp test and are you feeling ok today?

Can somebody tell me how long they think its going last before at least 50% of the sides are shut down.

Total madness !!!

Whoever has made that call wants to make themselves totally accountable for what happens!!

Well said Halliford - this sort of realistic but can-do attitude is spot-on IMHO. Far better than people wailing about "total madness" and trying to legitimise their views with multiple exclamation marks, or the equally tiresome "meddle with the rules over my dead body" brigade...

Coronavirus: Rapid bedside test shows promise in hospitals

The rapid tests were publicised a few weeks ago - and aiming for 20 minute turnaround. 

They 'could' be a game changer.............and seem to be getting there with trials with 2 hour results looking promising. 

A negative Test that takes a week or 5 minutes is out of date as soon as you interact with someone else. Look at the Universities! Lets say 1% (25) of the 25000 students who turned up at Newcastle Uni less than  month ago may have had Covid/symptoms, they partied/played sport/interacted with each other all following SD guidelines and boom they now have over 1200 cases including a dozen staff.

I fear the Premier 15s is a Test to see what would happen if the game was allowed to return without a vaccine. Hardly a good start one game down before a ball is punted down field. First case of cross infection then game over. 99% of the players in the Premier 15s have other jobs, like Medics, Physios, Teachers and so on. Sorry for the downer but no vaccine = no game!

I think you’ll find lots of young people are being hospitalised right now.

And this is one of the biggest issues of this pandemic.

Please look at the great stats that are coming out of NHS England before making comments like the above.

Yes we have a problem but it is only effecting a very small amount of young people, with those effected usually with underlying conditions.

The stats don't lie, this is a virus that is effecting the 60+ age bracket.

Happy to be corrected if you can direct me to the stats that contradict my statement. 

Hear hear

And this is one of the biggest issues of this pandemic.

Please look at the great stats that are coming out of NHS England before making comments like the above.

Yes we have a problem but it is only effecting a very small amount of young people, with those effected usually with underlying conditions.

The stats don't lie, this is a virus that is effecting the 60+ age bracket.

Happy to be corrected if you can direct me to the stats that contradict my statement. 

They simply don’t know the effects of this disease yet.

And all those young people will keep it rolling around to effect the older people who might die of it.

Oh and all those people with underlying conditions they don’t yet know about.

But just crack on so a few lads can earn their rugby money hey?

But carry on? Yes for me with all of the restrictions in place that can be until the vaccine opens up the elderly. 

This is a game for the young watched by us oldies.

This pandemic will be the catalyst for change in life not only rugby.

Agreed, lets just get on with it. People can decide for themselves whether they want to take the risk or not.

Whether it is up to the elderly to decide does not take into account who runs clubs, In the "amateur days" the bar and events were run by the players , not any more. How do you effective manage a club when all the committee are self isolating.

Replying to my own question - the Gloucester game sis here

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eqtkU41tljU&feature=youtu.be" rel="nofollow - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eqtkU41tljU&feature=youtu.be

We had Sale Sharks Women vs Loughborough Lighting at Heywood Road on Saturday. As a match day ground safety person I was lucky enough to be able to watch. It was an enjoyable game to watch and the law changes certainly made the game quicker. 

However, I'm a firm believer that Rugby should be a game for everyone of every shape and size. Doing away with the scrum longterm means we might as well lose two people on the pitch and call it rugby league. 

There's a couple of variations that I didn't dive into and to be honest it was a learning curve for everyone. However, they did do free kicks for knock ons, accidental offsides (didn't see any turnover mauls) I think there were 2 or 3 scrums. One from a KO that went straight out. 

I watched the Wasps Quins match and while there were fewer scrums, it was still definitely Union.

There were rucks, mauls and line-outs and about 5 scrums.

But as knock ons led to a free kick not a scrum - there was more running and the ball was in play most of the time.

The Quins forwards beat the Wasps backs - they did not give the fast Wasps back three a chance to run. Quins scored one try from a 20 m driving maul.

Certainly better than no rugby and for a fan of  the front row - better than league.