English club rugby to stop asymptomatic Covid tests

Top-flight clubs in English rugby union are to pause a programme of routine weekly coronavirus tests and concentrate their efforts on players and management showing symptoms of Covid.

The change, announced by English rugby's Professional Game Board (PGB) on Wednesday, will take immediate effect, with the new testing protocols applying to the English Premiership, the second-tier Championship and the women's Premier 15s.

"We are now able today to align more closely with national guidance and can reduce our testing to focus our testing on players or staff with Covid symptoms," PGB chair Chris Booy said.

"The (UK) government are looking to take a phased approach to get back to 'business as usual', with review points and further changes as, and when, conditions allow.

"We believe that elite sport should adopt the same approach."

Booy added the proportion of fully-vaccinated players and staff across the Premiership is currently 97 percent.