Cardiff six are back in the UK amid calls for a rethink over 'double' quarantine
- Published
Cardiff had been scheduled to play Lions and then Stormers in South Africa
The six Cardiff personnel who had to isolate in red-listed South Africa because of Covid-19 are back in the UK.
The first of three players and three staff members flew in on Thursday.
The rest have followed and all are in isolation after flying in with the bulk of Cardiff party due to leave their 10 days of hotel isolation on Monday.
However, Cardiff believe the six latest returnees - and those in similar situations - should not have to isolate again having already done so abroad.
Cardiff say they are seeking clarification on the issue from the the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) and Department of Health.
Their director of rugby, Dai Young, is also among those urging the UK government to rethink the quarantine rules imposed by the UK government in England and devolved governments in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
In a Cardiff statement, Young said: "This is obviously a difficult and unprecedented situation facing not only ourselves but lots of other UK citizens returning from red list countries.
"While myself and 42 colleagues are well into our quarantine in London, we were forced to leave six others in South Africa after they tested positive ahead of our departure - they are now in a unique and pretty harsh situation."
He added: "These guys, some of whom have young families, have already quarantined for 10 days in an approved South African facility in Cape Town.
"They are symptom free and now will most likely have developed antibodies to the virus - all the science tells us they are extremely low risk, are in a better position than any of us and they should not need to quarantine.
"However, the current legislation does not account for this situation and therefore, as it stands, they must once again quarantine for 10 days in the UK.
"They will also be required to test, which may result in an extended isolation period as the virus, while unlikely to be transmittable could still produce a positive PCR test.
"It's an incredibly frustrating situation, which will mean the guys are in isolation for at least 22 days, on top of our self imposed quarantine at the start of all this.
"It has been very tough for all of us and it's not a pleasant experience. We are very aware that lots of people are in this situation, and they too have our sympathy, but for people to be facing more than three weeks of isolation is hard to bear.
"It will have a significant impact on the individuals health and wellbeing and we require support from the powers that be at DCMS and Public Health for decisions to be made.
"This goes for not only our six colleagues but everyone in this awful situation. Something must be done."
As the situation involving Cardiff evolved last week, Welsh Secretary Simon Hart MP said 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."
Hart's stance was mirrored by Welsh government health minister Eluned Morgan.
Of the 42 members of the Cardiff party 35 are due to end their quarantine on Tuesday while seven of the group tested positive during quarantine and will come out of isolation later next week.
Former Wales and British and Irish Lions prop Young added: "Our hotel is full of other people in the same situation, but I am very proud of how all of our guys have handled themselves.
"Everyone has struggled at times but the boys have all tried to make the best out of a bad situation and for those of us who left Cape Town last week, there is now light at the end of the tunnel."
Cardiff's Wales fly-half Rhys Priestland, who was among those who originally travelled to South Africa, has said on social media that some members of the party will end up in quarantine for a minimum of 24 days.
"What toll will this have on their physical and mental wellbeing as well as that of their families at home?" he wrote on Twitter., external
A UK government spokesperson said: "We have taken precautionary and temporary action at the border to help slow down the seeding of the Omicron variant in the UK from abroad, buying time for our scientists to learn more about the variant.
"The quarantine measures we have in place are minimising the risk of variants coming into the UK and safeguarding the hard-won progress of our vaccination programme."
In the absence of more than 30 senior squad members - and 16 backroom staff - Cardiff have named a team containing a glut of debutants along with seasoned internationals to host Toulouse in the European Champions Cup on Saturday, 11 December.
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