Environment Premier 15s: Clubs cleared to return to training in women’s top-flight rugby union

Clubs in the top flight of women’s rugby union in England can now return to ‘stage one training’.

Premier 15s clubs have not trained since March because of the coronavirus pandemic, with the 2019-20 season declared null and void in early April.

Stage one involves non-contact group training on a socially distanced basis.

No timescale has been set for clubs to move to full-contact training, while a start date for the 2020-21 season has yet to be decided.

The Rugby Football Union says clubs must meet a number of criteria, including testing levels and hygiene standards, before being given permission to resume training.

“After a four-month lockdown period, players need to return to a good training environment to push forward in their physical development,” said the RFU’s head of women’s performance Nicky Ponsford.

Some members of the England Women’s squad have already begun stage one training, with the rest of the squad returning by the end of this week before linking up with their respective clubs.