Boris Johnson will head to the tennis courts as lockdown restrictions ease in England, while Labour leader Keir Starmer has opted for five-a-side football.
The British prime minister told a Downing Street press conference on Monday he was “thrilled” by the prospect of being able to play tennis again as outdoor sports events resume.
It comes as Mr Starmer told reporters earlier in the day that he was looking forward to being able to “shout and scream” on the football pitch once again.
Groups of up to six, or two households, are now able to socialise in parks, while outdoor sports facilities have been given the green light to reopen after the English government’s stay-at-home order ended on Monday.
Stressing the benefits of exercise to build the UK’s “resilience” to Covid-19, Mr Johnson said: “I am personally thrilled that I will be able to play tennis, for instance.
“Without being remotely preachy, I do hope that we can take advantage of this moment and the beautiful weather to play sport, to take exercise, to have fun and build our national resilience in that way too.”
Football and cricket pitches, tennis and basketball courts, outdoor swimming pools, golf courses and sailing clubs are now free to reopen after months of being shuttered.
Today marks the next stage of our roadmap to cautiously ease restrictions in England.
As vaccines are being rolled out it’s vital that we don’t overdo it and risk all the progress we’ve made.
Please follow the new rules carefully. pic.twitter.com/9r7aV9hYb7— Boris Johnson (@BorisJohnson) March 29, 2021
Organised team sports can also resume outdoors, meaning grassroots competitions can take place ahead of the Easter break without the need for social distancing.
Mr Starmer said he was planning to play football on Monday evening after months of being unable to do so under lockdown.
He said: “I’m very much looking forward, this evening, to playing my first game of five-a-side for some time.
“So I will be out there, on the pitch, enjoying the fact that today I can shout and scream and go around the football pitch and have that game of five-a-side.”
