Like a feeling of déjà vu. While the world of sport had resumed its habits for several months, it has just been brutally brought back, projected in the spring of 2020 at the start of the pandemic. Four rugby clubs, Welsh, Italian and Irish, present in South Africa to compete against South African teams in the sixth day of the United Rugby Championship (URC), have asked to leave the country following a press conference by the ministry of Health. The latter triggered a movement of panic among athletes by announcing the discovery of a new variant of Covid-19 potentially very contagious and with multiple mutations.
The new variant, dubbed B.1.1.529, has an "extremely high" number of mutations and "we can see that it has a potential for very rapid spread," virologist Tulio de Oliveira told a conference. online news outlet led by the South African Department of Health.
At this point, South African scientists are unsure of the effectiveness of existing vaccines against this new form of the virus.
Following the news of a new COVID-19 variant in South Africa, Scarlets would like to assure families and friends that we are making every effort to get our touring party back home to the UK as soon as possible.
We will provide further updates as soon as we can.
- Scarlets Rugby (@scarlets_rugby) November 26, 2021
"The situation in South Africa having changed so quickly, we are now looking to repatriate our staff as soon as possible," the Cardiff club tweeted.
For the families and friends concerned, rest assured that our goal is to ensure the safety and well-being of our staff and that we will keep you informed as the situation develops.
Same sentiment from the Scarlets side: "Following the announcement of a new variant in South Africa, the Scarlets wish to assure families and friends that we are doing all we can to bring our touring team back to the UK. Uni as soon as possible.
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Leave the country as quickly as possible
Munster, for its part, assured to be "safe and healthy", while working "with the organizers of the RCU on the current situation".
Four matches are to be played this weekend for the account of the 6th day of the RCU in Cape Town, Durban, Pretoria and Johannesburg.
About fifteen British and Irish golfers, currently at the Johannesburg Open, counting for the European golf circuit, immediately withdrew from the rest of the test.
Their goal, revealed the specialized site Golf Planète, was then to leave the country as quickly as possible before the borders were closed by the British authorities and flights to London were canceled.
Cricket could also be concerned with a test match between South Africa and the Netherlands, scheduled for Friday, the holding of which has not yet been confirmed, pending a much-awaited tour of India next month. .
South Africa, officially the country most affected on the African continent by the virus, - 2.9 million cases, 89,600 deaths - has seen a new increase in contamination in recent weeks.
An "exponential" increase which would be caused by the last mutated form, which represents "a major threat", said the Minister of Health, Joe Phaahla.
The WHO was to meet on Friday to determine the dangerousness of the variant.