Closed doors.

A World Rugby document has been released that provides guidelines on a safe return to the sport – and it has warned we will probably not see games in front of large crowds for the Covid-19 virus is widely available.

The 29-page long document also outlines the necessary measures that will need to be put in place before teams return to training, noting how difficult the entire process will be.

A road-map to restrictions being lifted that was issued by the Irish government last week listed rugby as part of Phase 5 – which means the sport can return from August 10. But Irish Rugby have yet to release an plans on a return for the sport.

A vaccine may not be readily available for 12 months meaning any rugby that does end up coming back will likely be behind closed doors for a very long time.

“Large traditional crowds are unlikely in the absence of an effective and freely available vaccine for Covid-19,” reads the document.

In terms of training, players will be in very small groups initially with numbers gradually increased. Players would also need to change and shower at home, turn up to train ready and leave immediately.

The suggestion is that training would begin in very small groups. Those groups would gradually be increased in numbers in accordance with government guidelines.

“Until a vaccine is developed for Covid-19 the team environment will be quite different,” the World Rugby document reads.

The World Rugby document, entitled ‘Safe Return to Rugby – in the Context of the COVID-19 Pandemic’ was wrtitten by some of the game’s leading medical experts including: Prav Mathema, Mary Horgan, Martin Raftery, and Éanna Falvey, formerly Ireland’s team doctor and now World Rugby’s chief medical officer.