Teams 
The COVID team have met today to review the Club’s current COVID guidance. We recognise that our current guidance needs reviewing in the light of the demogrpahic shift to the younger members of the community, in spreading COVID. This shift, coupled with the Club’s current guidance, is having an impact on rugby, both training and matches. As a Committee we face the difficult balancing act of protecting our members and the wider community, and enabling rugby to still be played in a safe environment.
In view of this, and after serious consideration, the new Bideford RFC guidance is as follows, with immediate effect:
1. If you have any COVID symptoms, albeit mild please do not attend the club and follow the NHS guidance on testing and self isolation. Please inform a member of the COVID team
2. If you have tested positive for COVID stay away from the club for ten days and inform the COVID team.
3. If you have been in contact with a positive person then we are now asking you to please LFT(Lateral Flow Test) regularly , in addition we are asking players and coaches to LFT prior to training and matches. Again if positive then stay away from the club for ten days and inform the COVID team.
4. We ask all members to LFT prior to attending club events, eg, President’s Dinner.
5. Please use your COVID buckets. Ensure everyone sanitises hands regularly and that rugby balls are cleaned regularly. This is the responsibility of every single coach.
6. Do not share water bottles. Players bring their own bottle, and ensure they are easily identifiable.
7. Where possible please only use the pitch side changing rooms with windows and do not linger longer than necessary in the changing rooms.
We urge you all to take individual responsibility and adhere to this new guidance. If any player, coach, member chooses not to follow this guidance then they do so against Bideford RFC guidance and will potentially have to answer to the main committee.
We hope that you appreciate that this is an ongoing difficult and tricky situation to manage, and we cannot emphasise enough that we are simply trying to act in the best interest for everyone, including members and the wider community as this pandemic continues.
As a Committee we will continue to regularly review and assess the COVID situation, and update and amend guidance in line with the situation at the time.
We have successfully continued rugby, and allowed members and visitors into our club through these unprecedented, testing times, and with your continued support and adherence, long may we can continue to do so.
