This archive report was first published on 7 May 2020.
As the world grapples with the COVID-19 pandemic, World Rugby's chief medical officer, Eanna Falvey, has offered a glimmer of hope for the sport's fans. In a recent interview, Falvey predicted that competitive rugby will return this year, with a phased approach that prioritizes domestic and provincial games before progressing to international matches.
According to Falvey, Australia and New Zealand are well-positioned to be among the first to resume competitive rugby, given their relatively lower impact from the pandemic. He noted that these countries are 'reasonably close' to getting back into training and could potentially host matches between teams from similar regions.
Falvey outlined a scenario for the return of international rugby, which would involve short-hop transfers between countries with similar disease processes. This could include matches between Irish and Welsh, Irish and Scottish, or Irish and English teams, depending on the specific circumstances.
Notably, Falvey suggested that crowds could attend matches even before a vaccine is approved, with the size of the crowd determined by government regulations on public gatherings.
While a second or third wave of the virus could alter the outlook, Falvey remains optimistic, stating, 'I would be very surprised if there isn't some competitive rugby before the end of the year.'
