Wallabies playmaker Matt Toomua has been busier than ever working to get rugby union in Australia re-started after the COVID-19 shutdown.
Usually studying a Super Rugby game plan at this time of year, Matt Toomua is instead helping plot a return to play in two months’ time.
Toomua is the players’ representative on the national seven-man Return to Play Committee who have been tasked with getting a domestic-focused competition underway.
Aiming for early July, the committee is set to meet again on Monday to deliver a list of criteria to work through to confirm a start date.
He’s also the Rebels’ representative on RUPA, who negotiated pay-cuts with Rugby Australia for the Super Rugby cohort earlier this month.
The 30-year-old joked he had to do some squats while in online meetings to also accommodate the Rebels’ daily training plan under the watchful eye of his superstar cricketer wife, Ellyse Perry, who recently underwent surgery on her injured hamstring.
Toomua said while his priority was to get the competition started again and look after player welfare, the experience was good preparation for life post-rugby.
“I love sport and the admin part of it as well,” he told AAP.
“This is in a weird way provided a little bit of an opportunity for me to learn on the run, albeit in some extreme conditions.”
While not as bullish as the NRL, who are targeting a May 28 re-start, Toomua said he hoped they could soon firm up a date for Australian Super Rugby teams but felt it was “irresponsible” to name one with so much still to figure out.
“We don’t have something for players to aim towards, publicly anyway,” he said.
“The international nature of Super Rugby complicates it and even if it is a domestic-focused competition the Sunwolves (from Tokyo) are part of our conference so that presents a challenge.
“We are definitely working towards a date and are reverse engineering it from there while keeping in mind government regulations and logistical implications and player welfare so there are a lot of things to take into consideration.
“I think it would be irresponsible for us to say that this is the date and figure it out from there.”
Melbourne Rebels players are scattered throughout the country, given the green-light last month to train from the home states.
Toomua and Perry, who is on crutches, remain in Melbourne enjoying time together after usually being separated for long periods due to their sporting careers.
“We’ve been away for three years and are now in each other’s pockets,” he said.
Train Without A Station
Roar Guru
Nah you did. Purdo got it. Greysy and PeterK who liked my post got it. You are just using some mental gymnastics to ignore the point and win a pointless argument.
Train Without A Station
Roar Guru
As soon as you start talking about "lefties" you just show how biased you are.
stillmissit
Roar Guru
Purdo: So we need to take notice of history! I agree but there are some here who have just locked onto that one. It has all been we must listen to the scientists, Andrews in Vic now states there are many differing points and he will wait until the 'experts' agree it is ok to go back to school. Could be a long wait. Glad the lefties have noticed that there are many pov. This science, along with all science, is not closed!
stillmissit
Roar Guru
Don't think so. Analogy is a lost art.
Purdo
Roar Rookie
Bobby: I think he's a very good player as well - he must be as he has played professionally for manyyears and represented his country. I watch him and think he's pretty good at the elite level. I don't think Roarers should disparage him as a player unless they've played as successfully as he has at the level he has played at.
Purdo
Roar Rookie
We need to take notice of History. In 1918 after the first spike of infections from the Spanish flu hade died down, Sanfrancisco held a parade to boost morale in WW1 that 200,000 people came out to watch. A few days later there were several thousand more dead from the flue. During that post WW1 pandemic, people were forced to wear masks in public. When the wearing of masks decreased, the rate of flu infections increased. We need to establish a regime of much more widespread testing and tracing and possibly wearing masks if we are to loosen restrictions before vaccine and cure are found.
Purdo
Roar Rookie
Stillmissit - you did miss the point on that one.
Train Without A Station
Roar Guru
You don't have to look forward to anything. You can see the results already in nations that didn't have our benefit in time.
stillmissit
Roar Guru
TWAS: I'm looking forward to seeing the impact across the world, both in terms of those who reacted solidly ie Aust. and those that didn't. I am not sure which is best and the real story won't be available until some time late this year or next. When the data on deaths and on economies will be clearer.
stillmissit
Roar Guru
james: You could be right but who knows? The whole thing has been a disaster in terms of the data collection and analysis area.
Train Without A Station
Roar Guru
Well no. Reducing interaction won't prevent those. Enabling/allowing it won't allow those numbers to grow exponentially. We get that many deaths without taking a great deal of action to prevent them. Despite widespread actions, COVID-19 is still spreading (at a reduced rate now) and killing people. And we've seen how it can spread if you act too late.
Bobby
Roar Rookie
It doesn't matter. The Only measure is the number.
Springs Old Boy
Roar Rookie
Im loving my new electric arm chair from Nic Scali - you just press a button rather than exerting force on those pesky levers..
jameswm
Roar Guru
Mainly compliant and careful, but I agree. Whatever way you look at it, were doing well. Some like UK and USA are talking about bringing things out of lockdown too early if you ask me.
Train Without A Station
Roar Guru
You are using the results acheived based on action to say action isn't needed.
stillmissit
Roar Guru
TWAS about as many who don't wear seat belts!!!!
stillmissit
Roar Guru
TWAS: Love it! If at first it don't succeed just try, try again!
Train Without A Station
Roar Guru
How many of those are contagious?
stillmissit
Roar Guru
james: depends on how you want to read the results. Another way is 1 case every 3,800 and one death every 300,000 people in Australia. I agree with the government it is down to Australians being compliant and careful.
Train Without A Station
Roar Guru
My point is you're saying we shouldn't taken action because of the mitigated result due to taking action. It's akin to saying we don't need seatbelts because not many people die in car accidents, in many cases because they are wearing seatbelts.