Rugby: WRFU clubs to decide whether to cancel all training until April 18

The Wanganui Football Rugby Union will hold a conference call with representatives from each club this afternoon to discuss cancelling all team and group-based trainings until April 18.

That date is the current revised kickoff to the Premier season for the first of three weekends of non-competition points games, but is remains up in the air due to social distancing requirements to counteract the spread of Covid-19.

NZ Rugby sent out the latest advice to its regional unions on Sunday, which included the postponement of all game development workshops and the cancellation of group trainings.

WRFU chief executive Bridget Belsham said the workshops have been postponed, including Rugby Smarts, Small Blacks, Coach and Referee sessions.

Regarding clubs training, emails were sent out to the local representatives directing them to the conference call at 5.15pm.

"Although these [cancellation] measures are not explicitly required by Government, these measures will help to minimise the risk of person to person transmission," said Belsham.

"With the advice that this pandemic will last far longer than weeks, we will review the proposed start date of rugby and provide on-going advice on that in due course also.

"As previously advised, the Health and Wellbeing of our community is our number one priority, therefore any decisions that get made needs to keep this in mind."

Previously, clubs were allowed to continue their team and group training sessions under a "non-contact" format, where they should follow "sensible hygiene protocols".

Contact training would have been allowed to resume on April 13, five days before the new kickoff for Premier rugby.

Senior rugby is still scheduled to kickoff on April 25.