By the end of the night, we were in a better place, with the likelihood of getting training back for outdoor sport from early April and the OK for the Guinness Six Nations, SSE Airtricity League, FIFA World Cup Qualifiers and horse and greyhound racing to continue.
When the 45-page document outlining the detail behind Taoiseach Micheál Martin’s address to the nation was published though, it looked as if all the latter could have been wiped out.
It was down to a ‘transmission’ error that all elite sport could take place only at Level 4, as was clarified later. The download of the report on the Gov.ie website has yet to be updated as of 0900 but we expect that will be done today. Surely.
The review of the detailed medical numbers that will inform whether we move to level 4 will take place in the weeks leading up to Easter. That would allow for club and juvenile training in an outdoor environment and in pods of 15 with no contact to take place.
Of course, there are bigger decisions for the government to make than in allowing sport but that’s our wheelhouse, as the saying goes, so that’s what we have to advocate and push for, in the context of doing so in a way that will not impact on health.
Gaelic Games at the inter-county level has regained it’s ‘elite sport’ tag so full training can now be envisaged from April 5th for the top of the playing pyramid.
When we get to Level 3, and no date was given for that, ‘senior club championship’ activity is added to the exemption for matches and full training.
That’s also the point at which Gyms, leisure centres and swimming pools can reopen, albeit with protective measures in place, and only for individual training.
When level 2 is possible, and if 80 per cent of adults have a first dose of vaccine by the end of June, then maybe that’s a target, full training and limited attendance is permitted.
Even at Level One the maximum attendance at most events will still be 500 though there is a potential individual exemption for purpose-built larger venues that could open a window for the Euro Championship Finals.
Individual sports will now take their time to plan for the resumption of sporting activity, consulting and taking guidance from the Sport Expert Group that serves as a bridge to Government and NPhet.
Giving us something of a horizon was probably the best that could be hoped for from yesterday.
The Government is unfortunate in that the announcement came just 24 hours after England raised its hand and gave very specific dates (with caveats, for the resumption of outdoor sport in all its forms, apart from rugby scrums, from the end of march, indoor sport and gyms and swimming pools from April, attendance at grounds from May and a full reopening all the way to pubs and nightclubs in June.
Yes, we can allow ourselves a touch of envy, but better perhaps to look at this as our future too, hopefully only a couple of months behind once vaccine supplies keep on track and the virus doesn’t have one final twist of variance.
We will carry a detailed response from our sporting organisations as they become available, and will look later at the potential revised dates for a Gaelic Games season.
Sport for Business Partners
