Jamie Roberts tests positive for Covid-19 in huge blow for Guinness Pro14 as scheduled return is thrown into severe doubt
- Jamie Roberts signed for the Dragons ahead of star of Guinness Pro14 season
- But it has been thrown into doubt after Wales international tested positive
- The 33-year-old had been training with new team ahead of game on Sunday
Jamie Roberts has tested positive for coronavirus in news which throws the scheduled return of the Guinness PRO14 in Wales into severe doubt.
Former Wales and British & Irish Lions centre Roberts signed for Welsh side Dragons at the start of August after leaving South African giants Stormers.
The 33-year-old had been training with his new team ahead of their game with the Ospreys on Sunday, but he has since contracted Covid-19.
Jamie Roberts has tested positive for coronavirus, putting the Guinness Pro14 return in doubt
He has been placed into isolation and won’t play this weekend, but Roberts’ diagnosis also raises big questions over whether Welsh rugby can even come back as planned.
The Scarlets are set to host Cardiff Blues on Saturday with the Dragons travelling to the Ospreys in Swansea a day later. Both of those games – the first scheduled in Wales since the pandemic hit – must now be considered in doubt.
Roberts had returned from South Africa when lockdown began and the qualified doctor began working with the National Health Service in Cardiff with no rugby on the horizon.
At that stage he was also a free agent and not contracted to any team.
Prior to his move to Dragons being confirmed, Roberts had spent time travelling in France and it is understood he went on holiday to Croatia last week.
The 94-cap Test midfielder also remains close friends with players at his former team the Blues and there is genuine concern the virus may well have spread to the Welsh capital side’s camp as well.
The Dragons are now in full panic mode as they try to find out if more of their players have contracted Covid.
Roberts and his fellow Dragons team-mates have been tested for coronavirus every Tuesday since they returned to training with the results coming back 24 hours later.
At this stage it remains unclear when Roberts’ test was confirmed positive.
The Dragons and Roberts were contacted for comment.
Speaking earlier on Tuesday, Dragons director of rugby Dean Ryan said: ‘It’s been a long period since we returned to training with no guarantee of when the start would be.
‘It’s been a really strange, tough time. Everyone just wants to play now.’
It is also unclear whether Ryan knew of Roberts’ diagnosis at the time of making those comments, but what is certain is that his marquee signing won’t be making his Dragons debut on Sunday.