Northern Edition

Select Edition

Northern Northern
Southern Southern
Global Global
New Zealand New Zealand
France France

Two more rugby grounds offer facilities to NHS to help fight coronavirus spread

(Photo by Stu Forster/Getty Images)

Cardiff’s Principality Stadium and Belfast’s Kingspan Stadium have become the latest rugby grounds in Britain and Ireland to offer its facilities in the fight against the coronavirus outbreak.

ADVERTISEMENT

With the pandemic continuing to spread, Welsh region Scarlets earlier this week offered a large part of its Parc Y Scarlets site and buildings for free to a local authority to cope with any hospital overspill in treating Covid-19. 

Following discussions with Carmarthen County Council and the Hywel Dda University Health Board, various locations at the Welsh rugby ground were being converted for use by the NHS as an additional 500-bed to combat the growing health crisis. 

Now, WRU officials have offered up the Principality if needed, as have PRO14 outfit Ulster. Speaking to walesonline.co.uk, a WRU spokesperson explained: “We have approached the authorities and they are aware that our facilities will be made available if and when required.

“We have worked alongside the authorities over many years at our events and they are familiar with the stadium.

“This is an incredibly fast-moving and challenging time. The authorities were grateful for us getting in touch and we continue working together to monitor the situation.”

The Welsh national stadium has previous experience of being used as a temporary hospital. Previous New Year’s Eves have seen St John Wales set-up a treatment centre at the ground to cope with revellers whose celebrations take a turn for the worst.

ADVERTISEMENT

Meanwhile, Ulster CEO Jonny Petrie said on Twitter that the department is free to use their Kingspan facility however they see fit as they tackle the pandemic. Ulster have not played at their Belfast ground since February 22.

WATCH: Freddie Burns talks RugbyPass through his fitness regime during lockdown due to the coronavirus

Video Spacer
ADVERTISEMENT

LIVE

{{item.title}}

Trending on RugbyPass

Comments

0 Comments
Be the first to comment...

Join free and tell us what you really think!

Sign up for free
ADVERTISEMENT

Latest Features

Comments on RugbyPass

f
fl 8 hours ago
What is the future of rugby in 2025?

Smith generally isn't well connected to his forward pods; doesn't do a great job of distributing to those around him; and has inferior positional and contestable kicking games than Ford and Fin.


When England have had success over the past few years, its been either through (i) defensive rugby backed up with smart tactical kicking or (ii) high possession attacking phase play based on quick ruck ball. George Ford was key to the implementation of (i) in the RWC, and in the 6N win over Wales, and to the implementation of (ii) in the 6N games against Ireland and France. Smith did great at (ii) when running at tired defenders at the end of the Ireland match, but has never successfully implemented that gameplan from the start of a test because he doesn't distribute or support his forwards enough to create consistent fast ball and build attacks over multiple phases. Instead, his introduction to the starting side has resulted in much more playmaking responsibilities being forced onto whoever plays 9. Alex Mitchell copes ok with that, but I think he looks better with a more involved playmaking 10 outside him, and it really isn't a gameplan that works for JVP or Spencer. As a result of that the outside backs and centres have barely touched the ball when Smith has been at 10.


This might not have been too much of a disaster, as England have seemed to be moving slightly towards the sort of attacking gameplan that France played under Labit and Quins play (I think this was especially their approach when they won the league a few years ago - but its still a part of their play now), which is based on kicking to create broken field rugby. This is (i) a sharp departure from the gameplans that have worked for England in the past few seasons; (ii) bears very little relation to the tactical approaches of the non-Quins players in the England team; and (iii) is an absolute disaster for the blitz defence, which is weak in transition. Unsurprisingly, it has coincided with a sharp decline in England's results.

68 Go to comments
TRENDING
TRENDING Leinster player ratings vs Munster | 2024/25 URC Leinster player ratings vs Munster | 2024/25 URC
Search