Cardiff plan to leave South Africa on Thursday
- Published
Cardiff had been scheduled to play Lions and then Stormers in South Africa
Cardiff are planning to leave South Africa on Thursday morning after securing a charter flight and self-isolation quarantine accommodation in England.
Cardiff have been stuck in Cape Town after they were unable to fly home because of two positive PCR tests.
Those players have been isolating away from the team in a South African government Covid hotel.
Cardiff are awaiting another round of PCR tests.
Any other members of the 48-strong party who test positive in the latest batch of results will join the duo and stay in South Africa to complete a 10-day quarantine period.
More positive Cardiff tests are expected to emerge on Wednesday.
A Cardiff statement read: "Cardiff Rugby plan to depart Cape Town on Thursday morning after the club secured a charter flight and quarantine accommodation in England.
"The Blue and Blacks' travelling contingent, which includes 15 full Welsh internationals, had been left stranded in the city after South Africa was placed on the UK's red list and borders were closed to arrivals from six countries on the continent - now 10.
"It had been hoped they would be able to depart on a flight with Munster Rugby, Scarlets and Zebre Parma on Sunday, but two positive cases ruled out the departure.
"However, working in collaboration with the United Rugby Championship and the Welsh Rugby Union, a charter flight has been confirmed for Thursday morning.
"Upon arrival in England, Wales' capital city club will then begin a 10-day period of isolation in a UK Government Covid-19 hotel.
"Those remaining in South Africa will undertake 10 days quarantine in a South African Covid-19 hotel and will be repatriated to the UK as soon as possible.
"Cardiff Rugby would like to thank the URC, WRU and government agencies in South Africa for their support at this difficult time."
The two weekends of United Rugby Championship (URC) matches in South Africa involving travelling sides Cardiff, Scarlets, Munster and Zebre were postponed on Friday following the detection of the Omicron variant.
UK Health Secretary Sajid Javid said from 12:00 GMT last Friday, six countries would be on the red list for travel into England which has now expanded to 10, including South Africa.
The Welsh government adopted those travel rules, external which state any British resident arriving from the 10 countries after 04:00 GMT on Sunday must quarantine in a hotel.
Cardiff and Scarlets missed that deadline but were due to return on the same charter flight on Sunday.
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Cardiff were not able to travel because of the positive tests in their party but Scarlets arrived in Dublin on Monday on a flight before travelling to Belfast where they have been told they will complete their self-isolation until Friday, 10 December.
Zebre also travelled back on the same flight as the Scarlets and have returned to Italy, while Munster recorded 13 more positive tests on Tuesday with the rest of the party leaving Cape Town that evening.
Scarlets and Cardiff had hoped to self-isolate in Wales but the Welsh government have said that was not possible because there were no quarantine hotels in the country.
Leading Cardiff figures have been critical of the help they have received from the Welsh government with chief operating officer Rhys Blumberg accusing them of showing "appalling empathy and support".
Cardiff's plight puts a question mark over their ability to host French side Toulouse in the Heineken Champions Cup on Saturday, 11 December, while Scarlets are meant to be travelling to Bristol on the same day.
The 32 players in the Cardiff squad that travelled to South Africa will not be involved in that game because they will still be in quarantine on the opening weekend of European fixtures with no postponement planned.
Any decision to forfeit the match would likely result in a 28-0 defeat with Toulouse awarded five match points but Cardiff will still explore the possibility of fielding a side against the French team.
"We're monitoring the situation and are constant in touch with the clubs," said a spokesperson for European Professional Club Rugby, who run the Champions Cup and Challenge Cup.
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