Wales confirm rugby fans attending their Autumn Nations Tests at the Principality Stadium WILL need a Covid passport – with supporters warned of being denied entry if not
- Wales are hosting four Autumn Nations Tests across October and November
- Supporters will be ‘spot-checked’ on their Covid status before permitted entry
- Fans attending Principality Stadium over the age of 18 will need to prove they are double-jabbed or show a negative lateral flow test taken up to 48 hours prior
Wales rugby fans will need a Covid pass to attend Principality Stadium Tests in Cardiff this autumn.
The Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) confirmed that like at Twickenham for England games, supporters will be ‘spot-checked’ on their virus status before permitted entry to the four internationals against New Zealand, South Africa, Fiji and Australia.
Fans over the age of 18 will need to prove they are double-jabbed, or provide a negative lateral flow test taken up to 48 hours before the game to be allowed in.
Wales rugby fans attending their Autumn Nations Tests will need proof of a Covid vaccination
In this illustration, a woman holds an iPhone with a NHS Covid Pass in Cardiff last week
‘We cannot stress strongly enough that supporters need to ensure that they arrive at the ground with the necessary NHS Covid Pass or relevant text or email,’ said Principality Stadium manager Mark Williams.
‘It is so important to get the message out to everyone ahead of time – if you can’t prove you meet legal requirements you will miss the game.’
The Welsh team meet up on Monday and will be in a ‘bubble’ again at their Vale of Glamorgan hotel base, only allowed to go home after matches, and then only for 24 hours.
Pre-Covid players would have Wednesdays off to see their families, but now they cannot leave during the week of a Test. Wales will also not release players back to their regions if they are not picked on the weekends, to reduce the spread of positive Covid cases.
Most are double-vaccinated, with just a couple of players and one management member not yet, but Wales have re-introduced this strict bubble to mitigate against cancelling lucrative Tests that will earn the WRU around £6-8million each now fans are back.
‘This virus is as strong as it ever was in terms of its numbers in the community, so there is so much at risk in these games in terms of what is at stake in terms of the revenues,’ said Wales boss Wayne Pivac.
‘We don’t have the luxury of a club team where we can put it off for a weekend a month or two later.
‘We’ll be in a strict bubble even if the public can do what they do.’
Wales face four internationals against New Zealand , South Africa , Fiji and Australia in Cardiff