Matrix Fitness have rushed to Cardiff Rugby’s aid during the club’s hour of need by supplying a range of equipment to players in quarantine.
The fitness company came onboard with the Blue & Blacks in October and are busy creating a new high performance gym in Cardiff - The Matrix Performance Gym.
But they have gone above and beyond this week by arranging for spin bikes, treadmills, rowing machines and other fitness equipment to be delivered to the Gatwick quarantine hotel that the players are currently isolating in.
That has ensured the Blue and Blacks squad, who are undertaking a 10-day quarantine following the emergence of the Omicron Covid-19 variant and their return from South Africa, can make the best of a difficult situation.
Cardiff Rugby Chief Operating Officer, Rhys Blumberg said: “The support we have received from Matrix has been simply unbelievable.
“From the moment they learnt of our predicament, they were on the phone offering their support both over in South Africa and upon the squad’s return to quarantine in the UK.
“Julian Taylor in particular has been an enormous help and I cannot express how grateful the club are to have their support in such unprecedented times.
“What they have done goes way above and beyond the terms of our partnership and they have asked for nothing in return, their response is simply, ‘this is what a true partnership with us looks like’.
“It just goes to show what a fantastic company they are, how lucky we are to have them alongside us and we look forward to continuing to work together over the years to come.”
All 32 players that travelled to South Africa will miss Saturday’s Heineken Champions Cup clash with Toulouse and are highly likely to feature against Harlequins due to the lack of preparation time.
However, the use of such important cardiovascular equipment should ensure those in quarantine will be able to get back up to speed much quicker when they do finally return to Cardiff.
Cardiff Rugby Head of Performance Trystan Bevan added: “This is completely uncharted territory for us and there have been other teams put in similar positions. But having partners like Matrix, and also Pro Athlete Supplements (PAS) with their nutritional support, has allowed us to make the best out of a pretty difficult situation.
“It was great to get them onboard as our fitness partners and they have demonstrated their true value during this highly challenging period - they have gone way and above for us.
“It’s brilliant from both a physical and mental sense to give the boys some equipment to do some conditioning work and when we are in a position to train, this will allow us to get back to normal much quicker.”