Life without sport is likely to extend well beyond March 29 due to coronavirus

As the country enters a lockdown period due to the spread of the Covid-19 virus, Galwegians are coming to terms this week to life without sport.

Following Government warnings, all sporting organisations cancelled their schedule of games and events for the immediate future late last week, with the blanket ban forcing the sporting world to come to a standstill.

In addition to the mass disruption of fixtures, teams are not allowed to train collectively and this has led to management teams across all codes scampering to design individual training programmes for their players.

Among those effected by the ban last weekend were Galway’s senior hurlers and footballers after their National League fixtures against Wexford and Mayo respectively fell by the wayside.

Donal Ó Fátharta’s U-20s, who were due to play their All-Ireland semi-final against Kerry at Croke Park on St Patrick’s Day, and second and third level colleges fixtures also fell victim to the measures.

A halt was also put to Connacht Rugby’s PRO14 season indefinitely; while Galway United’s League of Ireland campaign has ceased until March 29, when the Government will review its stance on how next to proceed in the fight against the coronavirus pandemic.

The stoppages to Connacht Rugby’s and Galway United’s seasons will no doubt have a major impact on them. Connacht is a full-time professional body that relies on the revenue it secures from gate receipts, sponsorship and other commercial income; while it is believed Galway United has written to its players and management saying the club is not in a position to pay wages during the shutdown due to a lack of income, a move which a number of other League of Ireland clubs have also been forced into.

For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.

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