JASON Leitch has described an Edinburgh Rugby Academy player testing positive for coronavirus as a "hugely disappointing incident".
The unnamed player is believed to have attended a social gathering and the SRU said any “suspected breach” of its guidelines would be treated “extremely seriously”.
The player is now self-isolating along with three with no others within the club deemed affected by the local health protection authorities.
Leitch told the First Minister's coronavirus briefing: "I can confirm that an Edinburgh Rugby Academy player has tested positive for Covid. The young man in question is one of four academy players who attended a house party last Friday. In doing so they breached the general restrictions on social gatherings and also the protocols that were agreed between Scottish Rugby and the Scottish Government.
"This is clearly unacceptable and I am personally disappointed that after all the hard work that's gone into the return of a league sport with the rugby authorities that this has happened."
The national clinical director for Scotland added that the rest of the team have been tested ahead of a game in France this weekend. "In doing so they [NHS Lothian] have examined training footage and GPS data and the safety measures that were in place," he explained. "Based on that they have determined that the match can go ahead."
Leitch concluded: "This is a hugely disappointing incident for us and for rugby."
"Any time one of us fails to abide by the rules we put others at risk."
More to follow.
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