professional game does allow that and, ahead of its return, our reporterjohn watson has been to twickenham. yes, grassroots rugby returns, not quite as we know it, though. there will be no full contact training, but what we are seeing is clubs able to train in larger groups and getting back to playing a sport they love. the definite date locked in with the elite men's game returning on friday. i know one man who is going to be keeping a close eye on the resumption of the premiership. it is the england head coach. great to speak to you. i presume you will be keeping a close eye on those england players involved. i am really looking forward to it. it is obviously quite a number of games, it is a great opportunity for the players and a great opportunity for the sport to get back on its feet. have you tried to touch base with some players over the lockdown period ? we have kept in touch — like everyone, these new zoom meetings becoming a form of communication. that has been handy. some players respond well to it, others not so well. we know the premiership final will be staged here on the 24th

but tonight, harlequins, who played the last match before the enforced break, take on sale at the twickenham. our sports reporter laura scott is there for us. laura, a lot of anticipation ahead of rugby's return. exactly. there's been more than five months since there was premiership action. kick—off is injust over an hour time at the harlequins take on that the sale sharks. nine rounds left in the season and they are very eager to complete those. mike bushel when it to see how they are preparing for two nights fixture. a world away from social distancing as bodies collide. rugby union is making its way back and these players are team—mates at sale. only training here. grassroots they are a long way off being allowed any contact but at the elite in safety protocols will put in place which 110w protocols will put in place which now allow for 15 minutes of scrums, rocks and balls in training to prepare them for the season restarting today. the restrictions have been correct and we haven't been able to do more than 15 minutes contact. it is difficult because we going to an 80 minute full contac

there were some unusual sights in an empty twickenham stoop.hout anyone through the turnstiles, some premiership clubs warned they face a threat to their survival. harlequins told us they are not immune to the impact of the pandemic and have taken a significant hit. we have already had to swallow quite a difficult loss and as long as this goes on we are ultimately going to be taking financial pain. it is going to be really difficult for everybody concerned but this club is in the best position it can be to continue into the future. in the wake of the black lives matter movement, clubs have pledged their commitment to the rugby against racism cause. each club has chosen their own gesture to mark it but former england international lugo mounier says there is still unity in the message. it is the first time since by message. it is the first time since rugby has been professional, 25 yea rs, rugby has been professional, 25 years, that we have actively done something to combat racism. i‘m pleased everyone is doing something and that is great. but i

good morning from twickenham, very exciting day with ita twickenham, very exciting day with it a tonneyou are based here but with family and australia and japan. how is lockdown been for you? like eve ryo ne is lockdown been for you? like everyone good days and bad days but in terms of coaching it has been a very productive time, a lot of things to learn and good thinking time. we can see the players getting back to it on the pitch, that must be very exciting. it has been a long time coming. it certainly has an when you consider these are the first players back on the ground since we played wales and the six nations. we know that will be played toa nations. we know that will be played to a conclusion. but as far as a baton to rugby is concerned we have a definite date and the diary on friday with harlequins against sale. fortuitous back to business and running and! fortuitous back to business and running and i over the senior bank and players back playing. running and i over the senior bank and players back playingm running and i over the senior bank and players back playing. it is an

ruth has her eye on proceedings in twickenham, the sky is pretty crowded.ncourage you to get out and about until it does that to you, that was the scene earlier in merseyside. as in the atlantic, something that has really caught my eye, an awful lot of weather on its way towards the british isles. through the afternoon, the rain from the merseyside area pushes across the border into scotland, turning more showery. sunshine north of that, there will be some thunderstorms, sunshine further south, temperatures in the low 20s. at at the same time the weather mightjust do that to you, there could be sharper shallow than thunderstorms. this evening and overnight, much of the activity will fade away, two showers lingering. a mild night, temperatures down to 15 oi’ mild night, temperatures down to 15 or 16. the first signs of a spell of wet and windy weather towards the south—west, which is the theme of the next few days, unusual spells of pretty windy weather with significant rain rather than hit and myth showers. if you have a line of washing to do across england

liberal democrat leadership better than former party leader since cable who joins me from his home in twickenham events welcome to the 08 some i'm sure. davy both of them do you when you're a liberal democrat little you know them particularly well i would just say the contrasting so. styles in the strengths and weaknesses of both candidates well i think that both strong and you know will be well served whichever the whens i mean out at davy obviously has they experienced a member of the cabinet looked after environment heavily into prime and change negotiations things about kind knows a lot of economics mcgann are good good economic background layer is is different she came in after at a coalition a completely new generation very fresh approach and interesting right cosmopolitan background and i have mother who is palestinian she's in a result you know quite a lot of not you know out with looking international way of looking at the well and she's buildout in the last 3 years on education she's very strong on education issues it's all levels and will approach things in a fresh and different way.

ruth has her eye on proceedings in twickenham, the sky is pretty crowded.

democrat leadership who better than former party leader sivan's cable who joins me from his home in twickenham events welcome to the alex some until now it's great to be with the other. segments on the ed davey both sav done to you when you are a liberal democrat liberal you know them a particular well i would just say the contrasting styles in the strengths and weaknesses of both candidates are well i think the book strong and you know will be well served which at the whens i mean out at davy obviously has they experienced from a member of the cabinet looked after environment heavily into the i'm a changed negotiations things about china and knows a lot of economics mcgann are good good economic background layer is is different she came in after at a coalition a completely new generation very fresh approach and interesting right cosmopolitan background and now her mother was a studio and she's you know absorbed in our quite a lot of that in our outlook looking international way of looking at the world and she's buildout in the last 3 years on education she's very strong on education issues it

there were some unusual sights in an empty twickenham stoop.threat to their survival. harlequins told us they are not immune to the impact of the pandemic and have taken a significant hit. we have already had to swallow quite a difficult loss and as long as this goes on we are ultimately going to be taking financial pain. it is going to be really difficult for everybody concerned but this club is in the best position it can be to continue into the future.

west london, twickenham had large hail stones and in wales these look horrendous.s was one of those downpours working across bucks. we have seen hail, torrential rain and 20 millimetres in the space of an hour already recorded. and in the last half an hour, a met office and the weather warning has been issued. this is for wales and parts of west england. the problem with these storms as they will bring a lot of rain. 30 or40 storms as they will bring a lot of rain. 30 or 40 millimetres possible in the space of an hour but some of the storms will be slow—moving so we could see much more than that. maybe 70 or perhaps 100 millimetres of rain and that is extreme. it could lead to localised flooding. aside from the storms they will be dramatic lightning displays and we have been used to enduring these kinds of temperatures overnight, lows of only 20 degrees. tomorrow, quite a quiet picture across the northern areas of the uk. a ridge of high pressure keeping showers at bay. murky round some coastal areas. further south in england and wales it is another humid day. ther

since the coronavirus pandemic halted everything, and the occasion has been marked on the pitch at twickenhamhe turf over 24 hours by eight artists. the portrait of faf de klerk, maro itoje and joe marler is the uk's biggest outdoor painting. you can get all the latest sports news at our website — that's bbc.com/sport. but from me, tulsen tollett, and the rest of the team that is your thursday sport briefing the work by the artist, hormazd narielwalla is currently being featured in a new exhibition in london but like many other things at the moment — the show has gone virtual. the gallery hosting it celebrates the influence immigrant communities have had on the capital's arts scene, as our correspondent brenda emmanus has been finding out. it would be wonderful if we could achieve the feeling of capturing a piece of the sky in a box. the thoughts and work of hormazd narielwalla, the london based artist works primarily in collage, creating original prints books and sculpture from bespoke paper patterns. the artist is one of several featured in a new online exhibition called midnight‘s family.