'Pleasant surprise' for Portsmouth chairman as grassroots 15-a-side contact rugby cleared to return before Christmas

The news is sure to be welcomed by clubs across the country with friendly fixtures given the green light to go ahead from Friday, December 18.

Although matches will be played under temporary adapted rules, Whitehouse is delighted Portsmouth have the chance to return to action potentially before Christmas.

Grassroots rugby has been one of many UK sports hit hard by the coronavirus outbreak.

Since the curtailment of seasons below Premiership and Championship levels in March, clubs were only able to train prior to last month's lockdown with matches unable to be staged.

But now, after a long nine-month wait, the government yesterday gave the green light to a 15-a-side adapted contact return at grassroots level.

And it's news that delighted Portsmouth chairman Whitehouse, he said: ‘It’s a pleasure surprise.

‘We haven’t gone through the full Return of Rugby movement RFU planning, they’ve stepped that up. It’s great as far as we concerned.

‘There are lots of logistical problems. We’re not clear on what we can do in the changing rooms at the moment, we certainly can’t shower, if we get very muddy we have a bit of a problem.

‘But it's good, exciting stuff.’

As part of the adapted matches, there will be no mauls or scrums, scrum restarts will be replaced by free-kicks and a minimum of five and maximum of seven players per-side can form a line-out.

Clubs can also resume training when the lockdown restrictions are lifted in England tomorrow.

Now Portsmouth head coach Gareth Richards, who is currently self-isolating, is busy trying to plan friendlies ahead of a training return next week.

‘We would certainly hope to (get a friendly in before Christmas),' said Whitehouse.

‘It’s early days yet and we’ve got to see what’s available.

‘We may well be playing before then (Christmas) and Gareth (Richards) is working on that at the moment.

‘The women’s section is I think (returning to training this week), the junior section will probably go back on Sunday.

‘Gareth is self-isolating at the moment so he isn’t planning to go back to training until next week when his isolation is over.’

Portsmouth's last action came on March 7 when they were beaten 27-22 at home by Weybridge Vandals in London 3 South West.