May, Kalamafoni and McPhillps extended injuries

[Tigerbeat]

Money, in a word. I don't think rugby matches played in empty stadia would generate enough money to justify the risk. Risk being the risk of 46 players plus officials coming into close bodily contact.

The risk would be far less without 18000 others in the Stadium but agree that the monetary loss would be a big hit to the clubs.

Televising all the matches would be a logistical nightmare.

[teds]

Money, in a word. I don't think rugby matches played in empty stadia would generate enough money to justify the risk. Risk being the risk of 46 players plus officials coming into close bodily contact.

Well I certainly agree that there is a strong risk of transmission, you can’t socially distance in a rugby pitch, but my guess is it’s far more expensive to not play at all.

CVC, Bt Sport and season ticket holders would all demand compensation especially if the government advice was to play behind closed doors. The legal defence of we did what the government advised is -though scientifically dubious - a fairly sound legal defence should any players complain.

[kk20gb30]

For differing reasons though based on the hearsay,conjecture and rumor that has been around recently would like to see at least one more appearance (at least) in a Leicester shirt from both Kalamafoni and May - if only for a proper farewell and to say thanks...

[Jacko27]

Also it's not just about money. It only takes one player to report symptoms shortly after a match and then the other 45 have to self-isolate or be quarantined. Extend that scenario to two or three other players in different matches and the fixture list will shudder to a halt. I'm not someone who is susceptible to media hyperbole and perhaps the whole coronavirus scare will blow away in April. But it's unlikely. The rather parochial point of my original post was that as Tigers' fans, we have less to lose this season. I'd be more disappointed if I were an Exeter or Sale supporter. We can just carry on playing - for as long as we are allowed - and take the opportunity to find out how good Hardwick, Reffell, Simmons, White etc actually are.

[Cardiff Tig]

For differing reasons though based on the hearsay,conjecture and rumor that has been around recently would like to see at least one more appearance (at least) in a Leicester shirt from both Kalamafoni and May - if only for a proper farewell and to say thanks...

There will undoubtedly be disruption of the season but the regulations exist to give points in games that can't be played. I'd be surprised if this disruption lasts through May.

Maybe it's a good thing that we're 11th in a season that seems to be completely illegitimate for a number of reasons

[strawclearer]

Purely from the fans' perspective, watching a match in a stadium with 10,000 - 86,000 others isn't a real problem - yet. Much more dangerous is watching a televised game in a pub - and that might well be the first thing to go.

[jgriffin]

Purely from the fans' perspective, watching a match in a stadium with 10,000 - 86,000 others isn't a real problem - yet. Much more dangerous is watching a televised game in a pub - and that might well be the first thing to go.

The pub thing seems obvious, but then so does closing schools etc like Ireland, and suspending sporting events like Spain have just done with La Liga. Unfortunately we are governed by people whose backers have invested lots of 'bets' on NoDeal on 1st Jan 2021 (Brexit talks will be suspended) and who seem incapable of dealing seriously with any crisis with other than a few £million and self-congratulatory platitudes. As to things 'blowing over', this country is being gaslit into disaster IMO by current inaction - see the example of countries that reacted late, like Italy (and China too).

[Jacko27]

Purely from the fans' perspective, watching a match in a stadium with 10,000 - 86,000 others isn't a real problem - yet. Much more dangerous is watching a televised game in a pub - and that might well be the first thing to go.

Yes, I read an article along the lines that groups of fans watching televised sport in pubs could be the riskiest form of transmission but which do you ban: pubs or televised sport or both? You might get away with it in China but it doesn't sound like a vote winner in Britain!

[Mark62]

Under normal circumstances the injury/ suspended list would make desperate reading for Tigers' fans but these are not normal circumstances as it seems to me the chances of the Gallagher Premier League reaching a conclusion this year are vanishingly small. We know who will be relegated but the winner and top four will have to be calculated on some meaningless statistical basis eg 2 points for both teams in cancelled games. I'm not alarmist by nature but it seems certain time that Covid 19 will have the last word. So it's some small crumb of comfort that injuries and bans for several of our star players actually don't matter very much. Perhaps the enforced rest will do them good!

This would be the case every season if the league was ring fenced. It wouldn’t matter about injuries and suspensions as we’d have no fear of relegation.

Ring fencing will kill the game.

Just like it has in super rugby you mean

[Jacko27]

Pro 14 League has already been "indefinitely suspended". They seem to have accepted the inevitable. It's difficult to see how the GP can avoid going down same path. And it seems that Leicester City already have three players self-isolating.

[LE18]

Money, in a word. I don't think rugby matches played in empty stadia would generate enough money to justify the risk. Risk being the risk of 46 players plus officials coming into close bodily contact.

Will they stop players shaking hands? I don't suppose the scrummage counts for close contact?

[Mark62]

Money, in a word. I don't think rugby matches played in empty stadia would generate enough money to justify the risk. Risk being the risk of 46 players plus officials coming into close bodily contact.

Will they stop players shaking hands? I don't suppose the scrummage counts for close contact?

Agreed it’s difficult not to touch in a full contact sport.
Maybe the rest of the season they need to get the Velcro belts out

[TigerBoy1880]

Under normal circumstances the injury/ suspended list would make desperate reading for Tigers' fans but these are not normal circumstances as it seems to me the chances of the Gallagher Premier League reaching a conclusion this year are vanishingly small. We know who will be relegated but the winner and top four will have to be calculated on some meaningless statistical basis eg 2 points for both teams in cancelled games. I'm not alarmist by nature but it seems certain time that Covid 19 will have the last word. So it's some small crumb of comfort that injuries and bans for several of our star players actually don't matter very much. Perhaps the enforced rest will do them good!

This would be the case every season if the league was ring fenced. It wouldn’t matter about injuries and suspensions as we’d have no fear of relegation.

Ring fencing will kill the game.

Just like it has in super rugby you mean

If you say so. I don’t watch it

[CitizenSmiff]

Hope the lads all feel better soon. The effect on performance will be largely academic, no way this season ever finishes with enough time for us to climb into 6th.

[johnthegriff]

If the season is curtailed by order, how many clubs will survive. Wages will still have to be paid for all staff not just players, loans will still have to be paid with lenders possibly needing re-assurance. Most clubs are not making profits despite their full quota of games, without that income and presumably with a big cut in television revenue cash flow will be purely out with no income. When and if next season arrives who will still be around to play, the Pro 14 will no doubt be ok as they are made up of provincial teams funded by their unions.