20 MARCH 2020
Dear Members,
UPDATE ON CLUB STATUS DURING CORONAVIRUS – MARCH 2020
We are passing through incredibly uncharted territory right now. It’s almost like an away game at a field you’ve never visited; against opposition you’ve never seen. It’s that feeling you get when you arrive for a match, throw your kit on and start your warm-up – only for a complete stranger to walk over and let you know the game has been cancelled because your opponents couldn’t put a team together – at their own home field.
This kind of emptiness, however, is not just felt by those of us at Rygersdal Football Club – but every other person in the world. There are not many moments in life when everyone across the globe can describe the same eerie feeling of disillusionment or frustration, but watching our communities and government departments pull together brings us hope and offers a bright light at the end of the tunnel.
While our clubhouse and field will remain closed due to the ongoing threat of contracting coronavirus, it’s really important that we understand why these type of extreme measures are required. Around the world, containing the virus has only shown fruitful amongst communities who have taken major preventative measures such as social distancing and implementation of strict laws governing the movement of people. Although you or I may not feel the full effects of coronavirus, or recover very quickly, it’s just far too easy to pass it on to our more fragile and older friends and family who may not recover as quickly – or at all.
As a community football club, it is our mandate to ensure we have a safe space for all our members to participate and enjoy the benefits of playing a team sport – but our safety and that of our members is our absolute top priority. It’s for this reason that our club will remain closed until such time as we are given the green light to open and continue our season.
At a recent press conference, the South African Football Association (SAFA) stated that football will be put on hold until this virus is under control. It could take weeks, or months, the truth is we really do not know. We are all in this together.
In the meantime, our Executive Committee are working hard behind the scenes to do some work on our fields. Just this week, for the first time in about eight years, we’ve managed to secure running water on the “B” Field for irrigation purposes; the next phase of this approach is to procure and connect the necessary pipes in order to distribute the water evenly. We’re hoping that a seeding plan will be executed this weekend which will hopefully result in plenty of greenery in the coming weeks. This applies as well to the “A” Field so you can rest assured that even at this time, your club’s committee members will continue to ensure our roadmap to repairing and upgrading our facility continues.
As a club, we will continue to communicate with our members and provide updates wherever we can. This is a testing time for us all which will bring tough economic and social challenges – it’s important we stick together and support one and other.
I wish to emphasise the need to wash your hands, remain hygienic and be aware of your social surroundings. Do not put yourself at risk unnecessarily and more importantly, do not put others at risk just because you think “it cannot happen to me”. The truth is, it can happen to anyone.
Justin Asher
Club Chairman
On behalf of the Rygersdal Football Club Executive Committee
