Six months after the championship in the Rugby Association of North Rhine-Westphalia was canceled, the University of Paderborn Rugby Club should also have a home game against OWL rival 1. RC Bielefeld on Saturday, September 26th, in the Tackle Corona Cup Westphalia, regionally divided into the areas Rhineland and Westphalia deny.
The attempt to create the best possible normality in the oval event as part of a kind of “transitional season” is already wasted. The Paderborn Lions, trained by the British head coach Michael Poland, decided at short notice not to make use of the temporary replacement of the NRW regional association. “We have withdrawn”, confirms the 1st chairman Philipp Hunz, who himself is at home in the back team. “We should play six times within eight weeks. But we would have had to cancel three of those games. ”On Tuesday opponent Bielefeld was informed of the withdrawal.
Bundesliga player infected
The rugby Bundesliga season has been postponed to March 2021. RK Heusenstamm, for example, had to find out what Corona can do. After a friendly game against TV Pforzheim, also a first division club, a referee and players tested positive – all of them had to be quarantined. At the German champions SC 1880 Frankfurt players are also infected. “Such cases show that there is really no point in playing rugby in amateur conditions. We are less professional. We cannot guarantee the hygiene concept, ”says Philipp Hunz. A queasy feeling would always have played a role. “Health just comes first. We’re a small club, we don’t want to risk anything and we don’t want to expose our players to any risk. Nobody should lug the stuff home with them from the rugby pitch. ”
In addition to the rampant corona pandemic, space has long been a problem. “We are not an independent association, but rather cooperate with the University of Paderborn. And they haven’t opened their sports facility for us yet, ”reports Hunz.
Sports field problem
Because the 36-year-old irrigation system for the lawn at the university was being renewed, the lawn had to be dug up and the green on Harsewinkelweg was not yet playable, the rugby club had been forced to improvise for months. “The attempt to find an alternative locally, to squeeze us somewhere in between, didn’t work,” Hunz regrets. “Our old place in Bad Lippspringe is neglected. We train once a week in Lemgo, on a public lawn. Many of our boys come from there. ”
The dramatically long break in play did not necessarily cause any noticeable consequential damage to the small, up-and-coming club. “We often had fewer people in training, but that was mainly due to the fact that there was no attendance semester and the students stayed at home,” reports Philipp Hunz. “On the contrary, we have many new ones. And they’re dying for their first game. ”
Surrender is a dilemma
In this respect, the Paderborn vote to forego the Corona Cup naturally caused disappointment on the one hand. “It’s a dilemma. But we would have met established names like Wiedenbrücker TV or second division RT Münster. That would have been very unequal. For our newcomers, well-coordinated friendly matches are definitely the better way to gain match practice, ”explains Hunz.
The University of Paderborn Rugby Club has almost 60 members and is building a new generation of rugby despite all the difficulties after the British left. “You just can’t plan for the long term. As of now, the season has been postponed to 2021, ”says Philipp Hunz. “Hopefully we’ll be well trained and attacked competitively.” And maybe one or two test matches can be played in the autumn. Those interested in rowing are cordially invited to the training. Information on the net: www.rugby-paderborn.de
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