Meath legend Colm O’Rourke says that underage athletes should be allowed return to the field of play as early as this month.

With an estimated 350,000 students returning to classes across the country this morning, the phased plan for reopening schools continues to unfold.

O’Rourke, who is principal at St Patrick’s Classical School in Navan, pointed out that there is no evidence to date to link on-field sports to the spread of Covid-19 and feels that the time is right for underage training to resume.

“I would emphasise that it should be all sports but I think there has to be a proportionate and reasonable response,” he told Newstalk Breakfast this morning.

“I think that, unless there is evidence to the contrary – and the Sunday Times article yesterday week seemed to indicate that there is no evidence that there was any case linked to any on-field sporting activity in any sport anywhere around the world – if that is the case, I think we should be trying to get people back – particularly young people.

“I think a lot of people have focused on the sort of elite thing with county football but my main interest would be to see young people getting back out playing all sports again.

“I think it has been quite damaging to them this continued lock-up.”

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