Social distancing

[Lutontiger]

Saw a gate open at the ground today, which raised my hopes but think it was just the ground staff tending the grass. It got me thinking about Tigers’ players getting into some gentle training - then I realised the explanation for those missed tackles earlier in the season - they were practising social distancing early!

[mol2]

Not sure they got within 2m of the opposition!

[Old Hob]

And the management washed their hands of the whole affair

[Jacko27]

A couple of nice jokes that made me laugh. However I hope it's not being too solemn to say that social distancing and a sport like rugby are totally incompatible. Scrummaging and tackling, for example, are its very antithesis. Given that the social distancing protocols have to remain in place until a vaccine has been developed (over a year away, we're told) or there is a reliable antibodies' test (months away we're told), can anyone really believe that we will see any live rugby this year? Even with the second more optimistic scenario, is it likely that we could get 46 players + officials all safely tested for immunity on the field? I doubt it and if not would we see" non immune" players agreeing to sign some kind of contract accepting the risk? Even though they are fit young men who are overwhelmingly likely to get a mild form of the infection, I can't see any club taking the risk that one of their players might catch a more serious or fatal form of the virus. In addition to all this, there is the insoluble challenge of how you deal with socially-distanced spectators. I'm afraid the only rugby we will see will be televised repeats. So let's hope they are good ones like this afternoon's (19/4) BT broadcasts!