• Rugby franchises around the country returned to non-contact training last week.
• For the Lions, that means groups of five training with masks, sanitising often and cleaning rugby balls.
• Head coach Ivan van Rooyen as well as the players were excited to get back into action.

A new set of protocols greeted the Lions players as they returned to non-contact training over the past week.

Masks, copious amounts of hand sanitiser and vigorous cleaning of rugby balls was the order of the day as groups of five players worked in the gym at a time and on the training field.

Lions head coach Ivan van Rooyen was excited to get his charges back to training after the Covid-19 enforced lockdown as franchises around the country work towards a restart of rugby once government gives the go-ahead.

Van Rooyen said the Lions will leave nothing to chance and have planned accordingly to ensure they adhere to the safety requirements put in place for professional sports teams by government and SA Rugby.

"We are rigorous in sticking to and enforcing our 'fives' as we start by working on conditioning. We have five different gym stations so that every group will have their own station, with the necessary sanitation and cleaning equipment and products," he said

The same five players will be together at all times and they train in the same space every day.

- Compiled by Sport24 staff