Updated Jan 5th 2021, 3:03 PM

THE GAA HAVE taken the decision that no collective training for inter-county teams will be permitted for at least the remainder of the month of January, in a reaction to the worsening Covid-19 crisis.

Director-General Tom Ryan informed all county board secretaries this morning of the decision, citing ‘the current exceptional rise in infection rates of Covid-19 and the increased risk of community transmission’.

GAA inter-county training was due to be green-lighted from 15 January. County boards have also been reminded that club and county gyms must stay closed until further notice. Club training and games are also not currently allowed under the Government regulations.

Out door gatherings on GAA property are not permitted, the only exception to this is for walkways, which may stay open for use by the community with social distancing in place.

Any breaches will be dealt with under Rule 7.2 (e) – ‘Misconduct considered to have discredited the Association’. The potential penalties under that rule are a minimum 8-week suspension for a member or a team/unit while further sanctions may also be considered.

The GAA intends to review the current situation and provide further advice on 31 January when the current Level 5 restrictions in the Republic of Ireland are in place until.

“I fully appreciate the frustrations these additional restrictions may place on our inter-county players and management teams,” wrote Ryan.

“However, the safety of everyone in the game and indeed in the broader community has to be our primary focus. It has never been more important for our players, coaches and officials to follow both the Government guidelines and our own provisions around training.

“I thank you for all you have done in this context to date and ask again for your co-operation and understanding as we battle to defeat the virus and finally return to
normality.”

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