“It has been well documented that this has been a turbulent period for sport in general with the very existence of many National Governing Bodies under threat,” said John Treacy. Photo: INPHO/Laszlo GeczoJohn Treacy has warned that sport's infrastructure could collapse if enough people insist on refunds for membership fees as a result of the coronavirus and the resultant shutdown. Irish sporting bodies have seen income streams devastated by the pandemic and membership fees make up for a huge percentage of those funds for many of the 81 NGBs operating on this island. “They should be encouraged to communicate their concerns to their club and/or National Governing Body so that they can be addressed." “Individuals, especially high performance and professional athletes, may have maintained a level of fitness throughout the restriction, however the risk of injury will be increased," said the Sport Ireland missive.

Source: Irish Examiner June 26, 2020 16:07 UTC