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No business trips
The news fell on Thursday morning, taking the various players in European rugby by surprise: the French government announced to reinstate, as of Saturday, the obligation of "compelling reasons" for travelers from and to the United Kingdom in the face of " the extremely rapid diffusion of the Omicron variant ".
Thus, "as of this Saturday morning 0 hour", there will be "an obligation to have a compelling reason to go or come from the United Kingdom, for unvaccinated people like vaccinated people" but these reasons "do not will not allow travel for tourist or professional reasons, "the government said.
This complicates business in La Rochelle (traveling to Bath), Clermont (in Sale), Castres (in Munster), Bordeaux-Bègles (Scarlets).
But also those of Racing 92 (which hosts the Ospreys), Stade Toulouse (Wasps) and Stade Français (Bristol).
"The EPCR is in contact with the French authorities in order to understand the new measures announced and to assess the impact on the matches of the second day", the organizers also explained to AFP.
A meeting took place in the evening between the clubs, the different leagues (LNR, Premiership, United Rugby Championship) and the EPCR to take stock of the situation.
The French teams affected by travel hope to benefit from a derogation but no decision has been taken in this direction.
A new meeting is scheduled for Friday morning according to a representative of the Top 14.
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Multiplication of cases
Even before the French announcements, the European Cup was threatened.
The multiplication of positive cases in teams on both sides of the Channel even raised the specter of last season.
In January, the last two days of the group stage had been canceled due, already, to the very rapid expansion of a variant of the coronavirus in the United Kingdom.
Regarding the 2021-2022 campaign, the 1st day had already seen the cancellation of Bristol-Scarlets after the placement in quarantine of about thirty members of the Welsh team, players and staff.
A supporter presents his health pass on the outskirts of Brighton ahead of the home football match against Wolverhampton on December 15, 2021 Glyn KIRK AFP / Archives
For the second day, the meeting between Montpellier and Leinster, scheduled for Friday, was also canceled after new Covid-19 contaminations in Leinster and Montpellier is declared the winner on the green carpet, announced the EPCR.
Uncertainty hangs over the Racing 92 - Ospreys match, scheduled for Saturday.
Welsh province manager Toby Booth reported "about seven cases" identified in his workforce.
In the "small" European Cup, the European Challenge, the match between Pau and Saracens was canceled due to too many cases in the English club.
Four positive cases in Lyon weigh the holding of the trip to Newport, among the Welsh Dragons.
The Covid-19 has also affected football: the Premier League postponed six new meetings on Thursday.
The left pillar of Racing 92 Eddy Ben Arous, questioned on the subject Thursday during a press briefing, was however philosopher.
"Compared to the 2020-2021 season, it has nothing to do. There was no one in the stands, an incalculable number of matches had been moved. Today, we are very far from all that", a he said.
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Toulouse to confirm, the UBB to catch up
If the rest of the matches should take place, the seven Top 14 clubs in the running will have to do better than on the 1st day: with only three victories, those of Racing 92, Toulouse and La Rochelle, the hexagonal record does not is not really brilliant.
The UBB, narrowly beaten by Leicester (16-13), will be keen to recover in front of the Scarlets.
UBB scrum-half Maxime Lucu kicks a penalty against Leicester Tigers in Bordeaux, December 11, 2021 ROMAIN PERROCHEAU AFP / Archives
For its part, Racing will want to confirm its good form found against the Ospreys while the Toulouse holder faces the Wasps, the opportunity to reunite for the second row of the Rouge et Noir and the Blues Thibaud Flament, passed by the English club before disembark in the Southwest.
© 2021 AFP