All You Need To Know
Is wearing a mask compulsory?
As outlined in our Welcome Webinar, the PSA Rugby Academy Kilkenny will be operated in full compliance with the IRFU Return To Rugby, HSE/HPSC & our venue Kilkenny College’s Operational protocols (particularly regarding boarding).
As such players & staff will be required to be fully masked when indoors, except when eating & in bed.
We would recommend that each player has at least 2-3 masks for each day of their stay.
Are you going to take the temperature of players and staff at the PSA Rugby Academy Kilkenny?
All residential players & staff attending the PSA Rugby Academy Kilkenny will be required to complete a full online COVID-19 Health Declaration within 48 hours of arriving on site.
All non-residential players & staff will be required to complete a full online COVID-19 Health Declaration in advance of EACH DAY of the programme. Failure to complete this important compulsory step may result in the entry being refused until completed.
All residential players & staff will have their temperature checked as they enter the cafeteria for breakfast each day. In the case of any illness or display of symptoms (cough, fatigue, loss of taste and smell, etc.), the person concerned will have their temperature taken by our dedicated COVID-19 Medical Lead, before being safely isolated from their training group pending a referral to our 24/7 GP support from Ayrfield Medical Practice.
Isolation facilities will be available for both non-residential and residential players & staff throughout the programme to ensure that anyone showing symptoms is managed correctly.
How will you guarantee physical distance during your Academy?
Specific signage will be displayed around the Kilkenny venue to maintain safety distances in collective areas. However, there will still be an onus on parents to educate their players on COVID-19 practices before their arrival and to ensure that they are reminded to closely follow these measures during their stay, which will help to deliver a safe environment for all players & staff in attendance.
In addition, we will have a dedicated COVID-19 Medical Lead on-site throughout the programme to ensure that our protocols & those of the venue are being followed, reminding players & staff of these messages throughout their stay.
Furthermore, weather-permitting, our professional staff will be ensuring that the programme remains outdoor-based as much as is physically possible, with each training group being led by their dedicated pastoral mentor.
What change have been made to the Kilkenny College Accommodation?
Kilkenny College have implemented significant measures within their operational procedures to ensure the accommodation is as well prepared and as appropriate as possible to comply with the prevailing Government guidelines:
- Room sizes & layouts have been modified to reduce density and passing traffic.
- Players will be required to minimise movement between the bedrooms shared by their dedicated training group.
- There will be daily santisation of all bedroom door handles, shower door handles, sink taps and showers etc.
What is in place to ensure social distancing during meal times?
Kilkenny College has implemented significant COVID-19 protocol measures to ensure the safety of all during catering times, including:
- Mandatory hand washing before entering the dining area.
- Two dedicated services times to reduce the number of people per service.
- Dedicated staff to monitor the flow of people within the dining area.
- Uni-directional flow with separate entry and exit doors.
- Increased space within the dining room by reducing the number of chairs that are available at each table.
- Catering staff to serve meals behind perspex.
- Each person must have their own drinking bottle.
How will you deliver the rugby training programme?
The modified rugby programme format, with a focus on skills-based, non-contact rugby and physical development delivered by our top team of rugby coaches will fully comply with IRFU Return To Rugby guidelines including;
- separate training zones for fixed training groups of 15 players.
- regular sanitising of key areas & kit.
- limited group numbers for limited indoor gym testing activity (minimal S&C equipment use).
- indoor mask-wearing compulsory & contact tracing via wristbands.
How will registration/check in work for the Academy arrival days?
To best manage the safety of players & staff on arrival days, the following measures will be in place:
- Non-Residential – all players & staff must be masked when checking in & out of the daily programme via the registration point at Butler Boarding House.
- Residential –
- One parent & player(s) to be fully masked when checking in via the covered outdoor registration point.
- There will be two staff processing registrations so please queue in a socially distanced manner.
- Each player will be assigned a wristband and scanned in, confirming their coloured dedicated training group fo the week.
- The player will have their luggage safely stored in the Butler House Hall & will head to the outdoor Astro pitch to meet their pastoral mentor & fellow training group members for some fun icebreaker games & activities.
- Once all players have checked in, the overall group will be given a welcome talk by the Academy Ops Manager before the pastoral mentor will accompany the group to get their luggage & make their way to their allocated bedrooms.
- There will be a standard fire drill on the first night of camp to ensure that the players are clear on how to safely exit the building in the event of a fire or similar emergency.
- On the final day, a reverse process will be in place.
What will happen in the event of a suspected COVID-19 case?
In the event of a suspected COVID-19 case, the following steps will be taken;
- the player/staff member will be removed from their training group and a temperature check/health screen will conducted
- the player/staff member will be brought to the dedicated isolation facilities, where they will remain supervised in a socially distanced way pending contact with their parents & the advice of our 24/7 GP support at Airfield Medical Practice
- in the event that a GP visit and/or COVID-19 being deemed necessary, the lead parental contact of the player will be referred to our GP support to finalise arrangements needed. Arrangements will be made for the player involved to leave the programme as soon as is possible.
- in the event of any player or dedicated staff member requiring a COVID-19 test, the rest of that dedicated training group & their pastoral mentor will need to leave the programme site as soon as possible, pending the results of the COVID-19 test. Dependent on the completion of the associated HSE contact tracing, based on the following of the PSA & Kilkenny College COVID-19 protocols, it is not anticipated that any other dedicated training groups or the rugby programme team would be impacted.
- If the test returns as negative, we will invite the affected training group & their pastoral mentor to return to the programme if feasible.
- There will be no refunds applicable for any disruption caused by necessary but exceptional COVID-19 related circumstances.
What will happen in the event of a positive COVID-19 result for a player/staff member in attendance?
In the event of a confirmed COVID-19 case, the following steps will be taken;
- the dedicated training group and pastoral mentor of that player will not be able to return.
- our programme team will continue to deliver the overall programme, pending the full contact tracing to be completed by the HSE.
- a final decision on the programme continuation will be made in conjunction with the relevant authorities & the Kilkenny College management team.
- There will be no refunds applicable for any disruption caused by necessary but exceptional COVID-19 related circumstances.