THE RFU has made the decision to delay the start of grassroots rugby due to “concerns about player welfare and pitch conditions” following this summer’s heatwave in England.

It said that following the heatwave pitches remain “hard and unsuitable for safe full-contact activity”, with this in mind and with no “lengthy spells of rain currently forecast” and “with ground conditions not expected to improve significantly in the short term”, a decision has been made to postpone the start of competitive fixtures.

The RFU has delayed the start of the season of the community game season until week commencing Monday, September 21 for community clubs, schools and colleges.

It added: “We appreciate this will be disappointing news to clubs, players and volunteers who have been getting ready for and looking forward to the new season but there are a range of factors we’ve considered carefully before making this decision.”

They say the decision has been made on three grounds:

▪ Player welfare – hard, dry pitches increase the risk of injury, particularly in the opening weeks of the season when players are returning to full contact. We recognise that many clubs have had to limit contact training in pre-season training due to the pitch conditions. We want players to return to competition safely and adequately prepared.

▪ Competition integrity – starting the season on pitches that aren’t fit for purpose risks uneven conditions and disruption across fixtures as well as offering advantages for those clubs able to prepare players during pre-season using artificial grass pitches (AGP) – undermining fair competition from the outset.

▪ Planning – a clear, decisive two-week delay gives clubs, schools, colleges and universities the certainty needed to plan training, fixtures, travel and logistics with confidence.

Friendlies are being allowed, provided pitches are playable and risk assessments have been carried out.