Dragons report negative Covid-19 tests on training return

Dragons in training in September 2020 at Ystrad Mynach

Dragons report two rounds of negative tests for players and coaches as they prepare to return to training.

The Welsh region were closed down a fortnight ago after seven individuals tested positive for Covid-19, with matches against Connacht, Glasgow and Edinburgh postponed.

"It's a huge relief to be back," said director of rugby Dean Ryan.

"We've got a staged return over the next few days to make sure we don't compromise anybody."

Dragons had two rounds of coronavirus testing while in quarantine, the first last Wednesday and the second on Monday. Both came through 100% negative, allowing staff and players to return to Ystrad Mynach.

"Quarantine is a lot different to lockdown," explained Ryan.

"We were able to exercise in lockdown but this time we are working off the basis of 14 days of inactivity.

"Even when you go on holiday most players have a few beers and go for a run for a bit of an evening up process. Quarantine is nothing and was right in the middle of a high-activity period for us.

"We are taking the next few days as a staged return with a view to getting back to normal next week."

The match against Edinburgh on Monday, 23 November was postponed because the squad did not have enough time to prepare.

"We would have loved to have played Edinburgh but it would have been unsafe," said Ryan.

"The advice we are getting is that we need some staged days of increasing load and then we need to back off again.

"That made it impossible for us to prepare for Edinburgh, the timeline was too tight."

Dragons' return to their training base was dictated by Public Health Wales, which insisted on the full 14 days of quarantine and Ryan says the players who tested positive would be reintegrated within the squad.

"We want to do the right thing because the last thing that we want to do is put ourselves or our families at risk," he said.

"We have followed the advice and there are people that are making those decisions higher up.

"We are being very careful as to what their first two or three days back look like. The last thing that we want to do is throw them in with everybody else.

"We had a managed day on Wednesday to see how people react on Thursday and Friday."

'Mitigate risk'

Ryan admitted the region were investigating ways in which the situation could not be repeated

"The reality is that we are not playing in bubbles," said Ryan.

"We are working in a situation of mitigating risk, which means we still go home and go back into the community.

"We are doing our best to mitigate risk when we come back together or travel. It's very difficult when not in a completely controlled situation to understand what the sources are.

"There are definitely learnings but I have been incredibly proud of how we set up the processes that are in place.

"We were able to identify very quickly, we were able to isolate very quickly and ultimately we were able to stop an outbreak situation.

"As with everybody with this virus, we are having to learn all the time. How we learn to keep rugby moving is a constant challenge."