Premiership Rugby has been given assurances that the Covid-19 testing kits used in the league’s £100,000-a-week programme are up to scratch after the government’s instruction to immediately stop using kits manufactured by its supplier. On Thursday the government announced that the use of kits produced by Randox – the healthcare company awarded a £133m contract in March – was being temporarily halted due to some swabs not being up to “the usual high standard”. That prompted fears PRL’s testing programme could be derailed, potentially posing a threat to the league’s hopes of restarting in mid-August. Randox however, released a statement, saying that the temporary measure “does not apply to our private business which uses a different supplier of swabs” and when contacted by PRL on Thursday offered the same reassurances. Following those discussions, it is understood that PRL is satisfied with the standard of its testing kits and does not intend to alter its programme. A Premiership Rugby spokesperson said: “We can confirm that our club testing programme is unaffected by the decision to temporarily suspend distribution of sample collection kits within the national testing programme. The sample collection kits provided to Randox Health’s private customers use a different supplier of swabs than the kits used within the national testing programme.” Under PRL’s programme, players and members of staff are tested once a week and the second round of testing, the results of which were released on Wednesday, produced nine positive tests, including seven players and two members of staff, from 856 tests. The previous week there were 10 positives, six of which were from players. Those who test positive are required to isolate, along with their “close contacts”, which is defined on an individual basis, after a review of video footage of training sessions as well as GPS movements. Meanwhile, Maro Itoje has become the latest of Saracens’ England stars to commit his future to the club despite their relegation to the Championship. Itoje follows Owen Farrell, Billy and Mako Vunipola, Jamie George and Elliot Daly in pledging to stay despite the prospect of playing in the second tier next season. Itoje’s announcement comes just a day after Eddie Jones confirmed he would have no issue selecting Saracens’ stars next season despite the absence of top level opposition. It is believed that those senior players are unlikely to feature much in the Championship with Jones set to have greater access to them next season. Saracens are also in discussions over the possibility of sending them for a brief stint in Super Rugby next spring to prove themselves ready for the British & Irish Lions tour. “I’m really looking forward to the future; the future is going to be brighter than our past,” said Itoje. “The future is in our hands and we have the power to shape our own destiny.”