Following a vote in Parliament, England is now in national lockdown until Wednesday 2 December and all team sports have been suspended.

This includes club age grade and adult rugby activities below Greene King Championship and Allianz Premier 15s.

With effect from today, we return to Stage A on the Return to Community Rugby Roadmap. This means that no competitive or formal rugby activities can be undertaken until at least Wednesday 2 December.

While group training sessions are banned, a maximum of two players (or one player and one coach) can participate in socially distanced (two metres plus), individual training sessions in a public outside space, but not a garden, without sharing equipment.

For all the details relevant to community rugby, head to the RFU’s dedicated Coronavirus hub.

The RFU have continued to indicate that the RFU Competitions Team is working with the Competitions Organising Committees for Men and Women to finalise alternative competitions models in place of the cancelled 2020/21 league programme.

As our chairman John Inverdale discussed earlier this week, this proposal will be in the format of a cup competition for National League clubs.

These will be entirely optional for clubs and will have no impact on promotion/relegation. It is intended to circulate these proposals, inviting clubs to participate, on Friday 13 November.