By MARK CASHMAN

Five members of the NSW Waratahs squad have been released back to their clubs in ther Shute Shield with the promise of more to come.

Joe Cotton (Southern Districts), Carlo Tizzano (West Harbour), Henry Robertson (Sydney Uni), Triston Reilly (Randwick) and Angus Bell (Sydney Uni and from the Australian Sevens program) will all ply their trade in the country’s premier club rugby competition from this weekend.

The decision has been made in consultation with Rugby Australia, given the selected players will not be able to return to the NSW Waratahs ‘bubble’ for the remainder of the competition.

In any other circumstance players outside the NSW Waratahs match day squad would move freely between their clubs and the professional environment, but under current bio-security protocols a definitive decision on this was required.

NSW Rugby GM of Rugby, Tim Rapp, said that the move was about giving developing members of the senior squad some valuable game time.