SAM Tomkins hopes his first day back at his school goes better than his sons’ Covid-19 affected ones.
Quite simply, they did not happen.
And having to cancel youngest son Caine’s first day proper hurt him after he had given it the big build up.
Today sees the next step in rugby league’s return as their clash with Wigan will be played in Perpignan and in front of 5,000 fans.
It is also the Dragons’ first match since Covid-19 entered their camp, resulting in two weeks of lockdown, which was stricter than the original one players went through.
Their scheduled first home match against Leeds was postponed but to Tomkins that inconvenience was nothing compared to Caine and eldest son Rex.
“Our kids were supposed to start school the day after we got the news of the positive tests,” revealed Tomkins, 31.
“It was more difficult for the youngest as that should’ve been his first day at any school and we’d built it up.
“We were saying, ‘You’re going to school next week,’ and we’d bought him new shoes and a new bag. He was ready to go.
“Then the night before came the news of the tests and the isolation. That was frustrating as we’d prepared the kids to start school, then we had to tell them they couldn’t go.
“Our eldest wanted to be around his friends again, he’d not seen them for months.
“Fortunately, the school was very understanding and liaised with the club as another player’s child goes. They said, ‘As long as you keep testing negative, they can come.’ We’ve had five negatives now.
“It was a total lockdown, basically we were just in our own homes and training with what was available.
“I’m lucky in that I have some outside space but some lads live in apartments – it was definitely more of a mental challenge than a physical one.
“We’d had a long lockdown, the same as everybody else, but we then went back into it as players and it was even more strict.
“Originally, we could go to the shops for essentials. This time we couldn’t even do that.”
Catalans, promoted to the top when points percentage was used to decide the table in the week, may be at home and have fans in the ground but do not think they are making money.
Everyone in the ground is a season ticket holder or sponsor. It is costing them 50,000 Euros to play on home soil!
But there is one benefit, the match will be beamed into every home in France.
Dragons commercial manager Christophe Levy explained: “We’ll make nothing from today as everyone in the stadium will be a season ticket holder – we have 4,500 – or a sponsor.
“The main benefit is that we will not have to give back as much money at the end of the season – but it‘s costing us 50,000 euro to get the game on.
“We have staff to pay, like stewards and other staff at the club to make sure the stadium can open.
“And we’re employing two lots of regulations, the French Government ones but also the Rugby Football League ones, which are in line with the UK Government.
“One benefit, though, is that L’Equipe TV is screening the game. That’s free to air, meaning it can be received in every house in France.”
Wigan themselves face an early start, with coach Adrian Lam admitting some players will be up before 5am to make sure they can catch the plane.
Like the Dragons have done, charter flights to and from Perpignan are necessary, meaning they will be back either tonight (Sat) or just after midnight.
Lam said: “I think we’ve got parachutes strapped to our backs to parachute into the ground!
“For some people, it’s a 4.50am or 5am wake up on a game day, to then go to the airport on a bus, fly in a plane, then bus to the stadium and sit around for four hours.
“I support what we’re doing. They’ve been doing this every week, so it must be tough on them.”