Despite their ticket in their pocket, will 1,500 French supporters be forced to watch Ireland-France, Saturday February 11 (3:15 p.m.), in front of their television?
We are not there yet.
But the situation, grotesque, begins to become urgent.
It even seriously worries the organizers of the trip of the tricolor public for this match of the Six Nations Tournament, a week after the victory of the Blues, this Sunday, February 5, in Italy.
At the origin of their fear, a contact from Dublin airport, ten days ago.
“The airport told us that it was unable to receive some of our supporter planes, explains Grégory Sevault, CEO of the official travel agency MyComm.
He invokes a lack of staff in
handling
, the sector supposed to take care of travelers from the gateway that connects the plane to the terminal, but also the management of their luggage.
However, it has been several months since the airlines granted us these landing
(for the outward)
and take-off
(for the return) slots.
But the airport doesn't want to know.
»
Alternatives... 2h30 from Dublin
This French agency has for many years been in charge of organizing travel for its clients, including several federations (football, rugby, tennis, etc.), to international sporting events.
In collaboration with the FFR, it has already chartered in several cities ten of the thirty planes which must be used by the supporters of the XV of France to go to Ireland.
Insularity obliges, it is therefore impossible to imagine any other means of transport than by air, the boat remaining far too time-consuming to get there.
Before the trip from France to Ireland for the @SixNations_FR
, we share the situation at Dublin airport.
We are appealing to the local and French authorities so that the reception of French supporters is possible.
pic.twitter.com/LBHuVDQf2v
— MyComm (@MyComm_FR) February 4, 2023
"Are they really understaffed, struggling to recruit since Covid... I don't know, I don't want to speculate.
But it remains their responsibility, plague the leader.
It's no surprise that a Six Nations match should be held.
This scenario has never happened to us before.
»
As for the Irish airport, fallback solutions have been proposed.
Far from ideal.
“We were asked to land in Shanon or Cork.
It is 2h30 from Dublin.
For supporters who go back and forth over a weekend... It wouldn't make sense, it's longer than the flight between Paris and Dublin.
It's as if we were welcoming the Irish and telling them to land in Lille..."
Local companies solicited
Faced with the inflexibility of the Irish airport, MyComm offered to finance the arrival in Dublin of
handling
personnel from Shanon or Cork airports.
Or pay new staff through temp agencies.
Again, without success.
“We are facing a wall.
The only thing they say they can do now is ask Ryanair and Aer Lingus, who have their own
handling
teams , if they can handle us.
We're there, we're waiting, but it's been more than ten days that nothing has happened.
»
🙏 𝐔𝐧 𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐜𝐢 to all the supporters who came to Rome to cheer us on!
Your support is precious to us!
🔵⚪️🔴#XVdeFrance #NeFaisonsXV #ITAFRA pic.twitter.com/Dfyw6FNJq0
– France Rugby (@FranceRugby) February 5, 2023
The French supporters have a total of three trips to make during this Tournament, after Italy in Rome on Sunday and the big meeting against England on March 11 in London.
If the Irish stalemate continues, the 1,500 concerned will be forced to be landed at one of the substitute airports, then to chain the hours by coach to reach the capital.
Here again, it remains necessary to obtain the agreement of the small airports of Shanon or Cork, which are much less suitable than that of Dublin.
"How is it that a country which receives matches of the Tournament each year, and which applies to organize Euro 2028 in football
(together with the United Kingdom)
, is not able to assume the coming of the supporters Who does he sell his tickets to?
In this case, you should not position yourself to organize this kind of event.
»
And Grégory Sevault to continue: “What we want is to alert the FFR and make the Irish authorities face their responsibility, just like the Irish Federation.
We haven't heard back so far.
This was the situation this Sunday – knowing that Monday will be a public holiday in Ireland – six days before the match and five before the fans embark on Friday.
