Cardiff Rugby's criticism of Welsh government response to South Africa exile 'wrong', says first minister

Criticism of the Welsh government by Cardiff Rugby over the squad's return from South Africa is "entirely wrong", according to the first minister.

Mark Drakeford said they could not come home to quarantine because Wales has "never had a quarantine hotel" during the pandemic and it would not be "right or possible" to change the rules.

Cardiff had been isolating in South Africa after positive Covid tests.

But the bulk of the squad were able to fly out on Friday morning.

Cardiff are flying back to the UK via Ireland and are expected to arrive at London's Heathrow airport on Friday evening, before transferring to a quarantine hotel in England.

Six individuals have returned positive results and have been transferred to a South African Covid-19 quarantine hotel.

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There had previously been criticism of Welsh ministers from within the organisation, with Cardiff Rugby chief operating officer Rhys Blumberg unhappy for "their absolutely appalling empathy", whilst one player accused the government of becoming "more of a joke day by day".

But in its latest official statement, the club thanked the Welsh Government for its "support and guidance throughout the pandemic and this repatriation process" and to ministers Vaughan Gething and Dawn Bowden for meeting with Cardiff, Scarlets and the Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) on Thursday.

The regional team has also thanked Cardiff Central MP Jo Stephens and Llanelli MP Nia Griffiths for their "constant source of support and advice" and praised the efforts of the Wales Office for "working tirelessly.

Following the detection of the new Omicron Covid-19 variant in South Africa, the country and others in southern Africa were added to Wales and the rest of the UK's travel red list.

It means anyone arriving from a red-listed country must isolate in a government-sanctioned hotel for 10 days.

Scarlets and Cardiff were in South Africa at the time of the change preparing to play fixtures in the United Rugby Championship, matches that have since been postponed.

Players and staff from the Scarlets are in quarantine in a Belfast hotel for 10 days, but Cardiff's departure from South Africa was delayed first by positive Covid cases in the squad and then after a planned flight on Thursday lost its landing slot.

Neither side has been able to travel back to Wales because there are no dedicated quarantine hotels.

Asked about the criticism of the Welsh government by some members of Cardiff Rugby, Drakeford said: "I think they are simply and entirely wrong because the rules are very clear and were made very clear to them.

"We have never had a quarantine hotel in Wales because we agreed at the very beginning with the UK government that Wales would not be an entry point for red-list countries.

"We haven't changed those rules for hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of people who have come back to Wales via the UK system, including - for example - people who are coming back to Wales to work in the National Health Service.

"It simply wasn't right or possible to change the rules for a particular group of people who, while I have huge sympathy for the predicament they found themselves in, needed to solve that predicament in the same way as anybody else would have to solve it."

Vaughan Gething (L), Mark Drakeford (2nd L), businessman Sir Stanley Thomas, the WRU's Geraint John and Dawn Bowden (R) were at a Merthyr v Cardiff game on 16 October

Asked what would happen if a country that flies to Cardiff International Airport was put on the red list, Drakeford replied: "Then those flights would not be able to come in to Wales.

"We've never had flights from red-list countries in to Wales; Spain's been on the red list in the past and no flights came in to Wales.

"You want to narrow down the risks that are posed by international travel and one of the ways you can do that is by narrowing down the ways in which people can come in to the United Kingdom from abroad."

Welsh Secretary Simon Hart MP said earlier in the week the UK and Welsh governments were "singing from the same hymn sheet" on the way Covid rules are applied for professional sports teams.

"It is extraordinarily difficult to make exceptions," said Hart.

"No responsible government would cheerfully bend the rules or adjust the rules and this is complicated by the fact that there were positive tests in the team.

"There are thousands and thousands of other people - be those individuals or in a group - who are also caught up in all of this."

But Conservative Senedd Member Tom Giffard said it was "disappointing and frustrating that Labour ministers in Cardiff Bay refused to help" the rugby teams.

Cardiff chief operating officer Blumberg previously said the squad only wanted to get back on Welsh soil to start quarantine and he was supported by Cardiff head of performance Trystan Bevan, who was in South Africa.

"Being out in SA [South Africa] I feel that I must support Rhys here," Bevan had written on Twitter.

"The performative fist-pumping empty bluster of 'get the boys home' in the WG [Welsh government] press conference earlier sadly rang out identical to the empty rhetoric that the WG so profoundly seems to dismiss as Westminsterian. Disappointing."

Cardiff's initial two positive Covid cases ended hopes of flying out of South Africa on Sunday. The club confirmed one of the initial cases is suspected to be the Omicron variant which sparked travel restrictions on flights from South Africa to the UK.

Those arriving in the UK from a red-list country must have proof of a negative coronavirus test, taken no more than 72 hours before departure.

They must enter through a designated port in England or Scotland. Cardiff Airport is not a designated port of entry, meaning travellers cannot travel directly to Wales.

They must enter managed quarantine for 10 days and to reduce public health risk, the Welsh government says it advises that travellers should isolate as close to the point of arrival as possible.

As most international travel to Wales is via English ports, the Welsh government maintains there is a clear rationale for locating quarantine hotels near these ports.

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