'This is illegal!' TV documentary reveals Welsh Government's anger towards Welsh rugby teams as minister demanded they receive no support

A new TV documentary has revealed just what went on behind the scenes within Welsh Government amid the Scarlets and Cardiff’s Covid-hit trip to South Africa.

The two Welsh regions found themselves stranded in the Rainbow Nation in early December after it was placed on the UK’s red travel list amid the emergence of the Omicron variant.

The Scarlets did manage to leave the country after a few days and ended up going through a ten-day quarantine stay in a hotel in Belfast. But Cardiff’s departure was delayed amid Covid cases in their camp and they had to undertake an extended period of hotel isolation, first in Cape Town and then near London.

Welsh health minister Eluned Morgan banned from driving for speeding

During the saga, there was criticism of Welsh government for not doing enough to help the two regions. In particular, questions were raised over the teams not being allowed to fly into Wales or go through their quarantine period here, even though they had arranged a hotel in Cardiff. Now, a S4C programme has outlined just what happened within the corridors of power in Welsh Government.

A camera crew was filming for a documentary on the day-to-day challenges facing Minister of Health Eluned Morgan during the Covid pandemic and captured the dramatic events as the Scarlets/Cardiff episode unfolded.

The finished programme - Gweinidog Iechyd mewn Pandemig - which will be broadcast on S4C next week, reveals some very telling moments. It shows Morgan’s predecessor as Minister of Health, Vaughan Gething, making his feelings very clear. He is heard insisting there can be no special treatment for rugby players.

“The Scarlets are a professional sporting organisation with employees and plenty of means,” Gething, now Minister