March 13th , 2020
STATEMENT REGARDING COVID-19
To: ALL MEMBERS AND PARTICIPANTS
From: Patrick Ryan – Executive Director, Dave Simpson – President.
ALL MEMBERS AND PARTICIPANTS,
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic’s presence in Manitoba, Rugby Manitoba advises all member clubs and participants to suspend all rugby activities, practices and training until further notice. This includes Rookie Rugby and High School spring rugby which has been put on hiatus by MHSAA.
At this time, coaching education activities will proceed as planned. These are essential for the safety of our sport and due to the small sizes of participant groups the risk of transmission is low in line with current advice from Manitoba Health.
Rugby Manitoba will remain in regular correspondence with Rugby Canada, Sport Manitoba and Manitoba Health to provide up to date information as the situation develops.
The health and safety of our membership and participants will remain our highest priority. Everyone is reminded of the importance of proper hygiene to help reduce the risk of spread of infection. Here are some recommended measures to follow;
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Wash your hand often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. Use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer if soap and water are not available. Make soap and/or hand sanitizer available in dressing rooms, practice facilities, and meeting places.
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Monitor illness and injury at all times. Do not attend any rugby-related events if you are not feeling well or have any cold or flu-like symptoms.
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Avoid contact with sick people, including avoiding close contact with people suffering from acute respiratory infections.
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Do not share towels, clothing, bars of soap, or other personal items with other players.
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All players and staff should have their own water bottles to prevent the transmission of viruses and bacteria. Water bottles should be labeled and washed after each practice or game. Water bottles should not be shared at any time.
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Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue or your sleeve (not your hands) when coughing or sneezing.
As the situation develops, Rugby Manitoba will continue to issue new advice in line with provincial health and sporting governing bodies. We advise you to continue to monitor the situation at https://www.gov.mb.ca/health/.
Yours in Rugby,
Patrick Ryan
Executive Director
Rugby Manitoba
