Aberdeen Grammar director of rugby Gordon Thomson admits it has been the most stressful start to the season in his tenure after a second Covid-related call-off.
Another case at Rubislaw has seen their game against GHA, scheduled for Saturday, postponed and delivered the club a further setback.
They were hit by positive cases at the start of September, which saw their opening Premiership contest against Edinburgh Accies called off.
Grammar have also been struggling with a decimated squad as an injury crisis has robbed them of more than 20 senior players.
Unfortunately our match against @gharugbyclub this Saturday has been postponed due to positive COVID-19 cases within the club😔
Please stay tuned for rescheduling info🏉#abdnrugby pic.twitter.com/MNpchH6yqL
— Aberdeen Grammar Rugby (@ABDNRugby) October 21, 2021
Thomson revealed the player had likely contracted the virus through his work and had not known he had it prior to playing against Currie Chieftains last weekend.
The Scottish Rugby Union were informed and club medics indicated it was likely, given players were in close contact with their team-mate, further infections would arise.
“As per the national competition rules, he’s had to notify Murrayfield and the decision taken was there was a high risk of infection. We would be short of players for the weekend,” said Thomson.
“It’s far from ideal and it won’t be the last instance, the way numbers are going. We’d no option with him being in contact of so many of the first-team squad. The medics are saying it’s likely one or more will be infected.
“We’ve had to cancel all the arrangements and notified GHA. Currie have been notified and they are testing their players.”
Grammar have lost their first six games of the season and, on an almost weekly basis, head coach Ali O’Connor has had to add new names to the club’s injury list.
The GHA game will possibly get rearranged for one of the weekends in November, with the Accies game already pencilled in for the period where the Premiership breaks for Scotland internationals.
The trip to Selkirk next weekend does not, at this stage, appear to be under any threat.
With mounting issues on and off-the-field, Thomson is desperate for a change of fortune.
“I’m hoping this is where our bad luck ends and it might go elsewhere,” he added. “You couldn’t write a script like this.
“I’ve been involved in senior rugby for 20 years and I’ve never seen an injury-list like it. I don’t ever recall a start to the season with a run of six defeats.
“Out of the players we lost in pre-season, none have come back. Because we’re playing every Saturday, the numbers are getting worse.
“I don’t know if it’s Covid that’s caused it, because there’s a lot of clubs struggling (with injuries). Some medics believe it may be because of the Covid lockdown and players not getting contact training for a year-and-a-half.
“If you’re not battle-hardened playing at the top-end of Scottish rugby, you will be picking up injuries and they seem to be serious ones.”
