Potential Postponement of Six Nations

[TRF_Olyy]

French Government have confirmed they're now happy for teams to travel in/out of France so long as they're bubbled, so looks like we should be set for a full 6N

 

[RedruthRFC]

French Government have confirmed they're now happy for teams to travel in/out of France so long as they're bubbled, so looks like we should be set for a full 6N

What constitutes a bubble according to the French government? It their rules are stringent, serious thought / effort / money will be required to get into the country without bursting said bubble.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

God only knows,
Says they'll be following the same criteria that the Tour de France used, whatever they were



Edit:

To keep cyclists and staff safe, most teams have created 14-day bubbles leading up to the tour (EF Education First, for example, was in Andorra, France, with almost exactly the same team that will go to Nice, to maintain the integrity of the bubble), and some, whose cyclists are arriving from other races like the European Championships, are tested repeatedly and monitored as they train for the tour.

Usually, each team is a "traveling circus" of more than 70 members, but this year that number (which includes riders, staff, partners, sponsors and team administration) is limited to 30, Sprouse said. The tour has mandated that every team submit two tests -- six days before the race, and then three days before -- to account for false positives. The teams drove in buses or cars this year as opposed to flying to Nice, and will stay in separate hotels -- usually all teams are accommodated in a single hotel. Each team is staying on the ground floor to avoid potential elevator exposure, and the dining room of the hotel will be set up to create four-person and two-person seating areas so cyclists, even within a team, can socially distance during meals.

An inside look at the fascinating 'mobile bubble' of the Tour de France

How does the Tour de France aim to keep 176 riders safe while traveling from city to city through 21 stages? The cycling community has spent unprecedented amounts of time and money to create an innovative moving bubble.

www.espn.co.uk

 

[big ginger 8]

Six Nations announce new dates for 2021 Women's and U20s Championships https://the42.ie/5343901

 

[Oliver Madden]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/56084565. Spanner, works etc.... what would happen if France couldn't play Scotland on the 28th?. I assume they would play on the weekend of the 6th March which is the second rest weekend. That would mean both teams would have to play for 3 straight weeks at the end of the tournament.

 

[Leonormous Boozer]

Three French players have tested. Disrupted schedule incoming.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Watch France have to forfeit the rest of their games and Wales get a GrandSlam

 

[ncurd]

Watch France have to forfeit the rest of their games and Wales get a GrandSlam

Fuuuuuuuu

 

[AlRums]

Watch France have to forfeit the rest of their games and Wales get a GrandSlam

It wouldn't be a GrandSlam by definition though, it would 6 nations champions

 

[Oliver Madden]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/56147154. The game next Sunday should be cancelled. Makes a mockery of the tournament if it is played.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Five more positive tests for France

Charles Ollivon, Brice Dulin, Cyril Baille, Romain Taofifenua and Peato Mauvaka - on top of the ones above

 

[Leonormous Boozer]

Forfeit or postpone. Either is acceptable considering the outbreak was a result of them training with the 7s squad following a confirmed case there.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Forfeit or postpone. Either is acceptable considering the outbreak was a result of them training with the 7s squad following a confirmed case there.

If that's the case then it should be a forfeit,

The gaul (hehehe) of the French Union refusing to take part in the 6N unless everyone followed very strict guidelines, and only confirming full involvement right at the last minute - then just doing whatever they want and ******* it up for everyone else

 

[MikeTheNative]

I don't see how the French game goes ahead now. What is the procedure though? Is it rescheduled or do France forfeit?

 

[RedruthRFC]

If that's the case then it should be a forfeit,

The gaul (hehehe) of the French Union refusing to take part in the 6N unless everyone followed very strict guidelines, and only confirming full involvement right at the last minute - then just doing whatever they want and ******* it up for everyone else

Their definition of strict seems to be very different to mine. IIRC England and Ireland have sent players back to clubs / provinces to train and Wales sent the whole camp home for a long weekend before the first game leaving just 4 days to isolate and test before reconvening to prevpare for their first game. Given the continued high number of infections within society, currently 1 in 80 people in England (or UK?) according to the ONS and within clubs evidenced by the number of cases found and matches cancelled, it's almost as if whoever wrote these rules wanted to see this fail.

 

[Not Mike Brown's Sock]

Their definition of strict seems to be very different to mine. IIRC England and Ireland have sent players back to clubs / provinces to train and Wales sent the whole camp home for a long weekend before the first game leaving just 4 days to isolate and test before reconvening to prevpare for their first game. Given the continued high number of infections within society, currently 1 in 80 people in England (or UK?) according to the ONS and within clubs evidenced by the number of cases found and matches cancelled, it's almost as if whoever wrote these rules wanted to see this fail.

Don't believe England have? That's the whole point of the small squad

 

[TRF_Olyy]

IIRC England and Ireland have sent players back to clubs / provinces to train

Don't think England has sent anyone back - though they've been bringing players in from the shadow squad so it's not like it's a completely secure bubble or anything (i.e. Moon is in the bubble but not been officially called up?)

France seem to be playing more fast and loose with it, though, considering half their starting squad has come down with plague after mixing two different playing groups together

 

[Johnny Storm]

They have to scrap the tournament or postpone the remaining matches until the autumn. Any of the British players who possibles for the lions tour could get infected and develop long-covid which would rule them out for months.

 

[RedruthRFC]

Don't think England has sent anyone back - though they've been bringing players in from the shadow squad so it's not like it's a completely secure bubble or anything (i.e. Moon is in the bubble but not been officially called up?)

France seem to be playing more fast and loose with it, though, considering half their starting squad has come down with plague after mixing two different playing groups together

My bad, apparently I didn't remember correctly. Without knowing the rules (I think I asked if anyone did before the start of the tournament and nobody here did) it's impossible to say whether teams are playing fast and loose with them or whether they are too permissive.

They have to scrap the tournament or postpone the remaining matches until the autumn. Any of the British players who possibles for the lions tour could get infected and develop long-covid which would rule them out for months.

I don't follow the logic of this. If the tournament was nixed, they players would be released back to their clubs, where they would be at greater risk of infection.

 

[ncurd]

They have to scrap the tournament or postpone the remaining matches until the autumn. Any of the British players who possibles for the lions tour could get infected and develop long-covid which would rule them out for months.

They'll only do it to the France matches no point on doing on the rest. Plus we have a second rest week the following week so there plenty of isolation time between that and the next game,

Likely we'll only see the France/Scotland game which has minimal effect on the Lions tour.