Exclusive: Champions Cup postponed and Six Nations in doubt after France imposes UK sports ban
Six Nations officials will hold urgent talks with the French government on Monday after the championship was plunged into doubt following the imposition of a ban on cross-border elite sport with clubs in the United Kingdom.
As revealed by Telegraph Sport on Saturday, the decision by the French sports ministry in response to the spike in Covid-19 infections in the UK has led to the postponement of the final two rounds of the Heineken Champions Cup, which had been due to resume on Friday.
There are now fears that the travel ban could also have serious implications for the Six Nations, which is set to start on Feb 6, as it could prevent France from taking part.
The reverberations of the disruption are also likely to heap further pressure on the British and Irish Lions tour of South Africa in July and August.
Six Nations officials remain optimistic that representations with the French government will succeed but there are concerns that the spread of the new variant of coronavirus across the Channel could lead to a deteriorating situation in France in the coming weeks.
With the sport already facing severe financial blows from the impact of no crowds during the pandemic, further disruption to the Six Nations would represent a major setback. However, officials hope to convince the French government that the tight Covid-19 protocols will minimise any further risk.
France, who are scheduled to open their Six Nations campaign against Italy in Rome on Feb 6, are not due to host a match in Paris until the visit of Scotland on Feb 28 and do not travel to the UK until March 13 to play England at Twickenham. Given that football’s Champions League is also set to resume next month, Six Nations sources have indicated there is also hope that a “coordinated approach by European governments” is possible.
Sources have also indicated the Six Nations will not proceed without France, which opens up the possibility of the championship being postponed until later in the season. Reports that the Six Nations could be staged in one country have also been dismissed.
The Six Nations insisted plans remained in place for the tournament to proceed. “We are planning to hold the championship as scheduled in each country with Covid-19 protocols that have been reinforced from the October and November period that saw the successful conclusion of the 2020 Guinness Six Nations and the ANC,” a spokesman said.
The Champions Cup and Challenge Cup are not expected to be cancelled yet despite the postponement of the climax of the pool stages, with further discussions to take place around how it can be completed. The French sports ministry said yesterday that it had written to the Ligue Nationale de Rugby to “invite its clubs to postpone its upcoming matches, conforming to the wishes expressed by the professional French clubs in the past few days.
“Furthermore, the sports ministry has undertaken a census of every sports event due to take place in France over the coming weeks, including with participants from the UK, as well as projections for trips involving French sporting organisations on British soil. From Monday, the ministry will meet with affected sports federations and event organisers”.
The French ministry added: “The French government is moving, in the short term, towards the adoption of measures to restrict or even prohibit the participation of French team sports clubs in matches including teams from the United Kingdom.”
Didier Lacroix, the president of Toulouse, said he hoped Champions Cup would be finished later in the year. "There's enough time to make up for this competition," he said. "I think it's a competition that's far from being distorted right now, it will take place more with a knockout stage, with things a bit harder.”
The Lions board are due to meet at the end of this month to consider whether the tour of South Africa can proceed.
