Rugby Ontario Statement on COVID-19- Programming Updates
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Date Issued: March 13, 2020
The health, safety and well-being of all players, coaches, match officials, learning facilitators, volunteers and members of the rugby community in Ontario is our current priority during this time. With the evolving nature of the COVID-19 pandemic, and subsequent directives by various authorities, please read below the following regarding various Rugby Ontario programming. Please refer back to this item for further updates
1. Coach and Match Official Courses
Due to the on-going developments around COVID-19, the Ontario Ministry of Education has announced that all Ontario schools will remain closed for the two weeks following March Break. This means all Ontario school facilities will be closed from March 14 until April 5, 2020. Due to the closure of all publicly funded Ontario schools, the following courses are currently postponed:
Coaching:
NCCP Community Initiation/World Rugby Level 1 – Newcastle (March 25th)
NCCP Competition Introduction/World Rugby Level 2 – Toronto (March 28th & 29th)
NCCP Community Initiation/World Rugby Level 1 – Sarnia (March 28th)
NCCP Competition Introduction/World Rugby Level 2 – Angus (April 4th & 5th)
Match Official:
World Rugby Match Official Fifteens Level 1 – Toronto (March 27th)
World Rugby Match Official Fifteens Level 1 – Sarnia (March 28th)
World Rugby Match Official Fifteens Level 1 – London (April 4th)
Rescheduling for all courses will be reviewed in the next two to three weeks; however, rescheduling will be subject to facilitator and venue availability. Further details will be provided as the situation progresses and all registrants will be notified.
2. High Performance Programs
Please note the change in status of the following High Performance events and activities:
Winter Academy:
March 28th – Academy Core Skill Session (Whitby Dome) - POSTPONED until further notice
March 28th – Academy Core Skill Session (University of Guelph) - POSTPONED until further notice
April 4th – Combine #2 (Whitby Dome) - POSTPONED until further notice
Provincial 7s:
April 8th – 12th - Tropical 7s Tour (Florida) - CANCELLED
Senior Provincial Programs:
March 28th – Sr. Women’s Tryout (Whitby Dome) - POSTPONED until further notice
March 28th – Sr. Women’s Tryout (1000 island Dome) - POSTPONED until further notice
Aril 4th – U19 Combine (Whitby Dome) - POSTPONED until further notice
3. Rugby Development Workshops and Clinics
The following Rugby Development Events will be canceled at this time:
Mixed Ability Rugby Friday March 13th
Refereeing Children Workshop Saturday March 14th
A decision on the Rugby Ontario Growing the Game Workshops scheduled in various locations across Ontario will be made in the coming days.
Rugby Ontario will continue to monitor the impact on sport programming and club travel and tours, and will aim to share any further risk mitigation measures for COVID-19. For additional information, please refer to the following public resources.
Additional Resources & Information
Government of Canada – Public Health Agency of Canada
Sport Medicine Advisory Committee
We thank you, our Members, and those involved in our sport across Ontario, for your patience at this time and hope you and your families remain in good health.
ABOUT THE ONTARIO BLUES
The Ontario Blues program is the high performance representative program for male and female rugby players in Ontario. Rugby Ontario is represented at the provincial level by the Ontario Blues. The program includes representative teams from Under-15 to Senior in both Women’s and Men’s Fifteens and Under-18 Men's and Women's Sevens. Specifically, the program is designed to develop and showcase rugby players for Canadian representative national teams.
ABOUT RUGBY ONTARIO
Rugby Ontario is the provincial sports governing body responsible for the organization of rugby in Ontario. Our mission is to establish a stronger identity for rugby in Ontario by promoting the sport’s core values and by fostering a culture of inclusiveness and excellence on and off the field of play.
To learn more, visit https://www.rugbyontario.com/
WANT MORE INFORMATION?
Dalton Finkbeiner
Communications and Marketing Coordinator - Rugby Ontario
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