Over the last month Cricket Ireland have developed a set of “Return to Training” protocols.
These protocols were presented to both Sport Ireland and Sport NI and were approved on Thursday 4th June.
The protocols allow a phased return to cricket training but under strict controls.
A working group was set up to review the documents and begin to build out an implementation plan for the club.
Key Steps
- Appointment of a Covid officer who will undergo formal training and act as the knowledge base for the implementation of the protocols
- The appointment of a Covid committee containing the main club officers supported by a few members with specific skills helpful in this situation.
Trevor Barnett (Chairman)
Richard Keates (Vice Chairman)
Sam Gordon (Club Captain)
Harry McFadden (Ground Convenor)
Jonathan Gordon (Treasurer)
Benji Cathcart (Covid Officer)
Stephen Ball (Clubhouse Convenor)
Michael Wilson (PR. Convenor)
- Allocation of a NCU club support person – Wayne Hughes (Club Engagement Officer)
- A formal risk assessment has been carried out to ensure that the club takes all available steps to mitigate any risks
- Formal review of the risk assessment by the NCU club support person
- Installation of the necessary signage and sanitation materials
- The implementation of a formal booking system for use of the training facilities
- The process of sanitation before, during and after sessions
- All participants proposing to take part in training must complete a signed declaration before taking part in every session
- All paperwork must be retained in case it is needed for contact tracing purposes
- It is expected that the first session will take place on Tuesday 30th June. This will be under the control of the Covid Officer.
Training sessions for the 1st and 2nd XI’s will take place on Tuesday and Thursdays. Our other teams will train on a Wednesday with a further plan to be developed for youth teams.
Note: Training is strictly for playing members only. Casual visitors will not be permitted entry to the ground while these training sessions are going on! It is imperative that all attendees follow the protocols and respect the authority of the Covid Officer.
As the women and youth teams both contain under 16yr players, parents or guardians must be present during sessions. This is not practical now because of the limit on the number of people that can be in the ground at any one time. Hopefully as societal restrictions ease, we will be able to expand the scale of what we can do.
The pavilion will always remain closed.
We are still some way off a return to competitive cricket but at least these steps begin to create some initial activity and get our players back into training.