Toulon refused this Friday to play its European Rugby Cup match on the ground of the Welsh team of the Scarlets, because "the sanitary conditions were not met," said the Var club in a statement.
Before the EPCR announced that the match between the Welsh and the Var was postponed and not canceled, the president of the RCT, Bernard Lemaître, had confided to
Sud Radio
to evoke the course of this incredible day.
“This morning, we learned that a player from Llanelli had tested positive earlier this week.
The player had been in contact with players from Bath during the Champions Cup match last weekend.
As a result, twelve players from Bath had tested positive.
It was a situation that worried us a lot.
Since the Welsh players, in anticipation of the match against Toulon, had not been retested for the week, we were very reserved about the sanitary conditions necessary for this match. "
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It was found today that during the week, neither the EPCR nor the Welsh Federation had ordered new tests on Welsh players, explains Bernard Lemaître.
They did not do it because, I was told, they are based on a system called "contact tracing", that is to say they are investigating in the area. environment of the player who has tested positive, to isolate him.
It is not enough for us at all.
We want to know if any players who were in contact with this positive player during the match were left during the week.
I was told no.
Under these conditions, with the approval of the club doctor and that of the National Rugby League, we felt that the necessary conditions were not met to play this match safely. "
"The EPCR proposed that we play it on Sunday, it was not possible since the players are automatically put on compulsory leave by the National Rugby League"
Bernard Lemaître
And the Var president continued: “In the meantime, the players indicated that they did not feel to play the match in these conditions, to return to Toulon potentially contaminated.
We made the decision, the coach (Patrice Collazo) and me, to give up playing this match.
I pleaded for this with the EPCR, asking them to postpone the match or find special status for it, but not to play it.
They proposed that it be played on Sunday, it was not possible since the players are automatically put on compulsory leave by the National Rugby League.
So, I indicated that it was impossible.
Finally, they got together at the EPCR level and they decided that the match would be played anyway tonight (Friday).
So I said that, under these conditions, we were forced to forfeit but this decision was not our doing. "
Bernard Lemaître confides that “what predominates is anger and injustice.
Because we went to Wales with a very good team to win this match.
The situation is very bad.
We are angry, it's very unfair, that's what I said and wrote to the Director General of the EPCR (Vincent Gaillard), telling him that their decision was extremely prejudicial to us.
And that there would perhaps be consequences to that ... Since the EPCR is sovereign in this area, I do not see very well what we can gain. "
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