Six Nations expected to go ahead as planned

FRENCH Rugby Federation president Bernard Laporte says this season’s Guinness Six Nations Championship “will take place”.

The World Rugby vicechairman also says there will be an expanded coronavirus testing programme for the tournament, while each country will have “a Covid manager”.

France’s government is demanding reassurances on safety from England and Ireland before allowing its national side to visit those countries during the Six Nations. Only the tournament’s opening fixture against Italy in Rome on February 6 has been approved by Sports Minister Roxana Maracineanu.

The French authorities have concerns over the soaring number of cases in the UK and Ireland, and have already barred their clubs from taking part in European competition this month.

The Six Nations held talks with Paris earlier this week, and discussions will be ongoing as organisers attempt to convince the government that sufficient protocols are in place.

It is highly unlikely the tournament would go ahead without France, who play Ireland in Dublin on February 14 and England at Twickenham on March 13. But Laporte has moved to ease fears, stating in an interview with the franceinfo website: “I understand some are sceptical, but it will take place.

“During the autumn [Nations Cup] we put in place a protocol which worked very, very well. The proof is that as soon as in a team, in this case Fiji, were detected Covid cases, they were out of competition. It worked well.

“There is going to be a Six Nations protocol. Once again, all of this makes us very optimistic. We will go further, there will be even more tests. We adapt to the conditions, but it’s the same principle – a health bubble.”