SACRE BLEU
THE Six Nations has been thrown into disarray by Covid with the French government set to ban all cross-border elite sport.
European club bosses have already postponed two rounds of the Champions Cup which were due to be played over the next two weekends.
Six Nations chiefs insist next month’s annual tournament will go ahead as planned – but they might have to resort to a shortened competition.
And a France no-show looks increasingly likely with French politicians wanting to put the brakes on Covid by stopping travel in and out of their country.
A French Government statement said: “This new variant of Covid has increased transmissibility compared to those currently circulating in France, which then increases the risk of contamination.
“The French Government is moving, in the short term, towards the adoption of measures to restrict or even prohibit the participation of French team-sport clubs in matches including teams from the United Kingdom.”
That would surely also impact the Six Nations, with France scheduled to be travelling to Italy, England and Ireland, and hosting Scotland and Wales.
England are due to entertain the French on March 13 at Twickenham but the entire tournament is now in chaos.
A Six Nations spokesperson insisted: “We are planning to hold the Championship as scheduled in each country with Covid protocols that have been reinforced from the October and November period that saw the successful conclusion of the 2020 Six Nations and the Autumn Nations Cup.”
The Champions Cup had already been reduced to four pool matches instead of six.
Organisers met with French government and club officials on
Thursday to try to persuade them that Covid strategies in Britain were good enough – but the French would not budge.
Exeter director of rugby Rob Baxter said: “I’m assuming from what we’re reading that there is going to be a postponement but we haven’t been told definitely.”
Euro officials said: “European Professional Club Rugby is aware of a formal communication that has been sent by the French authorities to the Ligue Nationale de Rugby (LNR) regarding the participation of Top 14 clubs in the Champions Cup and Challenge Cup.
“No directive has been given, and the LNR has been asked by their government for its position on protocols for its clubs playing EPCR’s tournaments. We’ll now discuss this with the LNR.”
Six games have been called off in Europe so far. Toulon pulled out of their pool game against Scarlets last month two hours before kick-off because they were not happy with the hosts’ Covid protocols.