Darren Childs on guiding Premiership Rugby through coronavirus

The CEO spoke to Zlata Rodionova about having to ‘rewrite how rugby gets played to restart safely’

Baptism of fire: Childs had only been in the post a few months before the virus hit (Phil Mingo/PPAUK )

It has been a testing time for rugby union. The Premiership resumed in August – with matches played behind closed doors – after a five-month hiatus marred by widely documented disputes over pay cuts.

Stadiums were due to reopen for supporters from 1 October, but the government has now paused these plans due to a rapid increase in Covid-19 cases across the UK.

As the business adapts to a constantly changing situation, Darren Childs, chief executive of Premiership Rugby, believes the league can only move forward through a collaborative and professional approach.