Raiders help out while they wait to learn their fate

Saturday 21 March 2020

With the rugby season now over, Guernsey Raiders are looking to help their community while they wait to find out what will happen to their league title hopes this year.

The rugby side are currently top of the RFU London & South East Premier league.

With 85% of the season behind them, the Raiders Sponsorship Director Chris Gnapp said they should be looking to their final few games with confidence, however instead it was confirmed yesterday that the remaining matches won't be played and the season is over, as a result of the growing corona virus outbreak.

"Our season, as for every rugby club in the UK, has now been stopped - there is no more rugby to be played, anywhere in the UK or Channel Islands," said Mr Gnapp. "As a club that means we're not playing, we're not travelling away, we're not training. Our final two home games have been cancelled, and longer term beyond that, we just don't know yet what might happen."

It's been a great season for rugby in Guernsey said Mr Gnapp, but the Raiders don't yet know if they've done enough to secure their league title during this extremely uncertain time.

"We're top of the league - which is great - the boys have done a great job, as have the ladies and the Vikings too, but the men are top of the league with 85% of the season gone. That's great, but the RFU hasn't decided yet what's going to happen in terms of standings and promotions across the board. 

"We're just waiting for that information to come out.

"Obviously, being top of the league we're hopeful of a positive outcome, but we just don't know yet. We just need to wait for further instructions on that matter."

It's not just the rugby leagues which are left in an uncertain position though. With just weeks to go before one of the biggest sporting events on the Channel Islands calendar is due to be played, Guernsey and Jersey are negotiating what's going to happen around the Siam Cup.

Mr Gnapp pointed out this is the centenary year of the inter island tournament, meaning it was on course to be an even bigger event than normal.

"We are working with Jersey on a resolution, and we hope we can release further details on what's going to happen with the Siam Cup within seven days."

While there is no chance of any rugby being played any time soon, with social distancing advice meaning even friendlies can't be played, Guernsey Raiders are instead looking to help give something back to their fans in the community.

As a club, they've backed a support group set up via social media to help those people currently, or likely to be going into self-isolation to try and avoid or defeat covid-19. 

To help out, the Raiders will be handing out flyers this weekend, before being deployed in other areas over the coming weeks as the situation becomes clearer.

"No rugby is being played," said Mr Gnapp, "so whilst the teams are still training where they can, taking into account from government all of the advice about social distancing, we felt as a club we wanted to do something for the community.

"This self isolation group has started on Facebook and the players and support staff are getting involved, and are there to help where we can, and we will do what we can do. From a practical term, over the weekend the players will be going out delivering flyers to business and other people raising awareness of this self isolation group, so at this point we've been asked to help raise that awareness and the teams will be doing that over the weekend.

"Then the potential support that's on offer will change, as time moves forward that might involve some of the boys doing more, we don't what that will entail but we've been asked to help get the message out there about it."