Paris (AFP)

European rugby on hiatus: the European Cups are suspended "at least until early February" due to the health context, and uncertainties are mounting on the 2021 Six Nations Tournament, supposed to open in less than a month .

Faced with the variant of the coronavirus and its very rapid expansion in the United Kingdom, the French government wrote to the National League (LNR) on Monday to ask "French professional rugby clubs to postpone their participation in European Cup matches, at least until early February 2021 ", according to a letter that AFP consulted.

In the process, the organizer, the EPCR explained that they had "no other choice" than to formalize this "temporary suspension" and the postponement of the next two days of the European Cup and the European Challenge, scheduled. the weekends of January 15 and 22.

But the 2021 Tournament, which is due to start on February 6, is now also in the balance, after a 2020 edition already very disturbed by the pandemic.

A technical meeting concerning the 2021 edition will take place on Tuesday morning at the Ministry of Sports.

During the weekend, the president of the French Rugby Federation Bernard Laporte wanted to be reassuring: "It's a puzzle but I think we should not be alarmed," he explained on RMC.

"The Tournament will be played, with a health protocol dictated by the government and linked to this mutant virus. Everything went well in the fall, so will the upcoming Six Nations Tournament", added the boss of French rugby.

Regarding European competitions, the EPCR said it was "determined to find a solution to resume and end" competitions "as soon as possible".

In the European Cup, Stade Toulouse had to face defending champion Exeter in England, before hosting the Irish province of Ulster.

Same story for Clermont (Munster, Bristol), Lyon (Glasgow Warriors, Gloucester) or Racing 92 (Harlequins, Connacht) ...

But these matches will not take place.

"The French government wishes as a priority to fight against all the risks of introduction" of more contagious variants of Covid-19 and their "circulation on the national territory", explained the organizer.

- "worrying" situation -

Last week, various meetings between the EPCR, organizer of continental competitions, and the various championships involved had made it possible to strengthen the health protocol, considered too light by the Top 14 clubs.

The organizers, according to AFP information, had assured want to follow the protocol applied in France, where the teams are tested three days before the matches, instead of six in the two European cups.

However, these advances are insufficient for the French government in view of the health situation in the United Kingdom with the progression of the British variant on a European scale.

A situation deemed "worrying" by Paris.

This new variant of SARS-CoV-2 has increased transmissibility compared to strains currently circulating in France, thus significantly increasing the risk of contamination.

Any travel or stay in the United Kingdom is already strongly discouraged.

Following the Challenge Cup meetings that took place on British territory at the end of December, several people with the aforementioned variant were thus identified within the Aviron bayonnais and the Pau Section, specifies the Ministry of Sports.

French clubs will not be at rest, however: the League took advantage of this hole in an overloaded calendar to slip in and reschedule four late matches, including the matches between Bordeaux-Bègles and Clermont (Saturday 3.15 p.m.) or between Racing 92 and Toulon (Sunday 9:05 p.m.).

But almost a year later, French rugby has not yet emerged from the bell under which the pandemic has placed it.

© 2021 AFP