RTXO Academy Camp Notebook: Day 1

Months of hard work allowed an idea to come to fruition at Infinity Park on Monday morning when 36 rugby converts began to check-in for the first-ever camp put on by RugbyTown Crossover Academy.

While Monday may be the quietest day of the camp, it is certainly the most important one. That’s because this day consisted of several different COVID protocols to ensure that everyone involved in the camp stays safe and healthy.

Everyone around Infinity Park this week has to have produced a negative COVID result in the days leading up to the camp. For players, they had to have been tested before traveling to the camp and again when they arrived for check-in. From there, the players received their kit for the week, filled out paperwork, and will pick up their meals before heading back to the hotel room that they will call home for the remainder of the week.

On top of producing negative COVID test results, players and staff are required to fill out a daily symptom questionnaire and have their temperature taken before entering the facility.

These are just the first steps in the process that is putting on a camp in the middle of a global pandemic. Tuesday morning will look a lot like Monday, with several late arrivals getting situated before the real work begins on Tuesday afternoon. When the players take the field for the first time on Tuesday afternoon, they will do so in four groups of nine to adhere to the guidelines set forth by state and county officials.

When any contact takes place, players will have their masks on. When players pick up their meals, walk around the facility, or do anything that isn’t non-contact fieldwork, they will wear their mask. To allow for proper social distancing, all meetings will be held in the conference rooms inside the Infinity Park Event Center where extra space is easy to come by.

Like Glendale’s rugby coaches, Glendale’s team doctors have put a lot of thought and effort into ensuring this camp runs smoothly. With a smooth first day in the books, the fun stuff can begin on Tuesday afternoon when these football players, wrestlers, and track and field athletes begin the process of learning the game of rugby.