The National Rugby League has just marked the end of the French championship. There will be no French champion this year, nor promotions or relegations. "A blow", for the president of LOU, the runner-up of the ranking. The clubs expect a resumption of competition the first weekend in September. 

INTERVIEW

Final whistle for French rugby. After the deconfinement plan presented this Tuesday by Edouard Philippe, the National Rugby League has taken note of the impossibility of resuming training for collective sports as soon as possible, moreover for contact sports, because of the coronavirus . This Thursday morning, the representatives of the LNR, club presidents, and the FFR met with the Minister of Sports Roxana Maracineanu and decided to mark the end of the championship. "It's a big blow," says Yann Roubert, president of LOU, rugby club of Lyon and dolphin of the Top 14. 

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No champion of France

The League thus gives up the idea of ​​an end of championship in August, directly in the form of final and semi-finals, as it envisaged. There will be no champion of France this year: unheard of since the Second World War. The UBB, club of the Union Bordeaux-Bègles, largely at the top of the ranking, can say goodbye to the Brennus shield ... There will also be no champion in Pro D2. The championship should therefore remain frozen: without promotion or relegation.

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"There is a lot of personal frustration for Lou rugby, for our supporters, for our players, and especially those who will not have been able to finish their stay in Lyon in the red and black jersey", deplores Yann Roubert, president of LOU, Lyon Olympique, dolphin of the Bordeaux leader. "We will not know what is the outcome of this season which started off quite well, we do not know what could have happened during the final stages". "After it is only rugby, there is much more serious," he nuances. "It is normal that the health situation has priority over everything else."

A recovery hoped for in September, decisions to be taken on Europe 

The next season should start again in September, subject to the evolution of the epidemic. "We must submit a recovery protocol to the sports ministry which will have four main stages", specifies the president of LOU. "First test everyone, then resume individual training then group training with contact, then finally competition, if possible with the public. We obviously have no certainties at present, but we hope to be able to resume the weekend of September 4-5. "

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For the Ovalian authorities, there is still the crucial question of the European Cup to be settled. In theory the first six are qualified, which would mean that Toulouse, in seventh place in the championship, will not be European next season. These arbitrations have yet to be officially ratified by the League's steering committee, which will meet soon.