• SA Rugby has welcomed government's decision to allow professional contact sport to resume training in a staggered, controlled manner.
• Professional sports teams now have 14 days to submit their proposals on how they will enforce safety protocols.
• SA Rugby CEO Jurie Roux says the organisation has already submitted a comprehensive, staged return-to-play protocols document.

SA Rugby has welcomed Saturday's announcement that professional sports teams will be able to resume training under Level 3 of the national lockdown.

Register your interest for the British & Irish Lions tickets in South Africa 2021

Sports minster Nathi Mthethwa made the announcement at a briefing on Saturday as he reported on his department's Covid-19 sector relief fund.

He announced that professional contact sport - which includes rugby - will be allowed to resume training in a staggered, controlled manner.

Non-contact professional sports, meanwhile, have been given the green light to resume training and playing.

All professional sports teams and administrators who want to resume training or playing now have 14 days to submit their proposals to government to map out, procedurally, how they will ensure the safety of the players and officials involved.

"This is the news sport has been waiting to hear as it allows us to begin to ramp up preparations for an eventual return-to-play," SA Rugby CEO Jurie Roux said via press statement.

"We submitted a comprehensive, staged return-to-play protocols document to the department five weeks ago and we are ready to begin medical screening of players immediately.

"We will seek further clarity from the department on the application of the guidelines as they apply to contact training.

"But this is an opportunity for our players to enhance their lockdown training regimes by increasing their fitness work for an eventual return to play."

SA Rugby announced the suspension of all rugby on 18 March.

- Compiled by Sport24 staff