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Cardiff Rugby staff member tests positive for the suspected Omicron variant

28 Nov 2021 2 minute read
Picture by Vladvictoria on Pixabay

One of Cardiff Rugby’s members of staff has tested positive for Covid in South Africa and is suspected to have the new Omicron variant.

They have been unable to depart South Africa following two positive cases of Covid-19 among the staff.

They said in a statement that the travelling party had hoped to depart Cape Town this afternoon, after a charter plane was secured. However PCR tests undertaken last night have returned two positive results.

“As a consequence of one of these results suspected of being Omicron, the entire travelling party have returned to their hotel to isolate,” they said.

“Cardiff Rugby continue to work with the South African Rugby Union, the Welsh Rugby Union and public health authorities both at home and abroad to decide the next course of action.

“The club are also continuing to work with all relevant authorities to secure the travelling party’s return to Wales when safe and appropriate.

“Everybody concerned in this highly challenging situation would like to thank their families, friends, colleagues and the wider rugby family for their many messages of concern and well wishes.”

Cardiff and the Scarlets have missed the 4am Sunday deadline to avoid having to isolate in a hotel for 10 days on their return from South Africa.

Both regions are now in Cape Town, with the Scarlets having travelled there from Durban. The two sides had been due to play United Rugby Championship fixtures in the country but attempted to return home as soon as South Africa was placed on the ‘red list’ by the UK Government.

From 4am today, travellers entering the UK from South Africa had to go straight into a 10-day hotel quarantine.

Cardiff were set to host Toulouse, while the Scarlets are meant to travel to Bristol, in less than two weeks’ time, but the isolation periods may now mean that the teams cannot train together.


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