Women and young people first!
The men, we'll see later.
Meeting on Tuesday evening, the Six Nations Committee recorded the postponements of women's and under-20 competitions.
They should be held in April and May.
The men's tournament remains in the same format, on the same dates (start February 6, end March 20).
For the time being.
Because the health crisis is raging in Europe and particularly in Great Britain and Ireland.
One day's decisions are not necessarily tomorrow's.
"We must start all our sentences with ... as we speak," barely jokes Serge Simon, the vice-president of the French Federation, Covid referent on the tricolor side.
Tuesday morning, the Ministry of Sports had requested guarantees in terms of health protocol from the FFR.
“We demonstrated during games this fall that our protocol was effective,” says Serge Simon.
But also that the continuous monitoring system put in place made it possible to control the situation when an outbreak emerged.
Because we can not assure that there will be no case, in any team.
We saw it in November with the Fijians, affected by the Covid-19.
There was no dissemination.
Given the context today, we will further strengthen the measures.
We will double the tests every week.
"
"Everyone will follow the same rule"
After the meeting, Roxana Maracineanu, the Deputy Minister in charge of Sports was confident about the holding of the first match of the Blues on February 6 in Rome - "because it is Italy" she said - but she had seemed much more measured on trips to Ireland (February 14) and England (March 13) in particular.
"We must really obtain the necessary guarantees from these countries so that they show us that the protocol is as demanding and serious as the one we have in France," she stressed.
“This is the case,” answers Serge Simon.
Everyone will follow the same rule.
This is why the women's and under 20 events were postponed, because it was impossible to apply these strict measures to so many people.
"
However, with the situation deteriorating dangerously in England and Ireland, everything can change very quickly, including the hypothesis of a postponement until the summer.
"This scenario has not been considered for the moment", insists Serge Simon.
"The Six Nations Committee is in discussion with the various governments in order to be able to maintain the competition", it is written in the press release of the FFR, leaving the doubt.
If the British and Irish Lions' planned tour of South Africa in July is canceled as it is rumored, the prospect of a staggered Tournament in the summer could satisfy everyone.
His fate is not yet sealed but it will be in the next few days.
