While most of the indicators are sinking into the red and encouraging the authorities to tighten up preventive measures in the fight against the coronavirus, the new arrival from Perpignan is surprising. The prefecture of the Pyrénées-Orientales has indeed authorized the USAP, the local rugby club, which plays in Pro D2, to welcome nearly 8,000 people in its Aimé-Giral stadium on Friday for the reception of Colomiers, a preparation match. of the season which will begin on September 3.
This is the first exemption granted to the world of sport to override the ban, until the end of October, to welcome more than 5,000 people during large gatherings, pronounced last week by the government. In football, OM (against Saint-Etienne on Friday) or Bordeaux (against Nantes on Saturday) saw their requests refused.
Friday evening, after an opposition between players of the club disputed in front of spectators, the president of the USAP, François Rivière, had advanced, according to the newspaper Independent: "I have just returned to his car the prefect who told me that the behavior of the match was exemplary. I can tell you that an increase in the gauge to 8,000 people will be confirmed. "
The @ Prefet66 officially announced that we will be able to welcome 8000 spectators at Aimé Giral for @ColomiersRugby - 08/21 !! We would like to thank all the supporters present on Friday for their exemplary behavior, which enabled us to obtain this authorization. pic.twitter.com/Bz1nMSmFwh
- USAP (@usap_officiel) August 17, 2020This authorization is currently only valid for the match against Colomiers. This first in the world of French sport comes a few days after the exemption granted by the prefect of Vendée to Puy du Fou, which allowed the amusement park to raise its gauge to 9,000 spectators for its show on August 15.
"Le Puy du Fou has not benefited from any privilege," the Minister of Culture, Roselyne Bachelot, assured the Parisian on Sunday. This Monday, she tried to calm the anger of entertainment professionals by ensuring on BFMTV that those who "ask for the exemption will get it", provided that the public is seated and that the organizers accept all the constraints imposed. A little hope, in turn, for football and rugby. Perpignan should not remain an isolated case.