Its not retrospective though, there are ongoing examples of flouting current restrictions, across society for sure but there is a duty of care for formal organisations to behave and are held to a higher level conduct than joe soap. The way that GAA is embedded in every community has become a weak link, their strength their weakness so to speak. The issue has most to do with being able to trace things in the event of a cluster. If elite sporting activity is (potentially) driving incidence of infection in the community, the minimum obligation is to be able to track that outbreak, know the why, how, and where it is going. Being up front about it is essential regardless of consequences within the rules and efforts of a particular sporting body and there are ongoing issues on this. Its a rare occurrence but I feel a bit sorry for the central administrators of GAA as they have been let down but then little happens in GAA that Croke Park hasnt some sniff off! Again by nature of how things are structured Elite GAA players are also non elite players when reverting to their clubs. LoI by nature has a smaller footprint but regardless a player at a club is only a player at that club unless called up to international squads - very tracible if any outbreaks occur. To use the rugby example again, players can be elite provincial players but also revert to AIL club level though uncommon especially with the central contract model but there isnt even a whisper of AIL sides trying to gain advantage by training while others have suspended club activity. The same cannot be said elsewhere. I'm going for the easy point scoring on this but a sport that officially claims that no one is paid to play or coach within the sport when everyone knows that that is not the case! added to good auld general fudging of its own restrictions has come home to roost. Public health vulnerabilities are taking precedence over the influence that any organisation has on how we are administrated as a country - the stakes are too high for insular micro politics.
EG's example is very much about recognising that there is a balance, elite sport may involve contacts but if covid is flagged up, protocols mitigates against spread. If protocols are not followed or there is a reasonable risk of not being followed then its not the conduct of 'elite' sport. Id think the IL Championship is not happening that its is is to to with resources.
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