Tigers v Bayonne - European games suspended

[loretta]

So, a bit early to start this thread I know, but I thought it'd be worth getting one going.

Basically, what is going on? Multiple reports around, that Bayonne have pulled out of European games but nothing on EPCR and now we have a ref! What the flippin' heck!

[TigerFeetSteve]

Below is quoted directly from Chris Edgerton's Welford Road Weekly blog (released today I believe)


It’s moved quite quickly over the last few days, so let me go over the timeline:

Sunday - Bayonne release a statement and give an interview to French television, saying they will pull out of their remaining two European games.

Monday - EPCR release their own statement, with the key last line:

In addition, it can be confirmed that no club participating in the Heineken Champions Cup or Challenge Cup has officially informed EPCR of any intention not to fulfil their remaining fixtures in the 2020/21 season.

The Guardian explained the issues at hand, with essentially the French who test in midweek, concerned that English clubs test at the start of the week and thus are more likely to become positive before gametime.

Yesterday, RMC Sport, a respected French outlet, suggested that a European boycott was becoming more unlikely following a meeting of the Top 14 top brass. But the cancellation of Scarlets v Toulon and Cardiff Blues v Stade Francais are apparently as major bugbears as the medical protocols.

"The clubs are very worried, according to a president at the end of the meeting. Discussions have concerned health protocols so that the British adapt to French procedures, with tests carried out three days before the matches."

Let’s wait and see what happens next week, but I am highly suspicious of Bayonne turning up in the East Midlands next week.

[Robespierre]

Here's a quote from the President of Bayonne:

"..président Tayeb annonçait "en l’état actuel des choses, je ne vais pas prendre le risque de recevoir les Zèbres ou d’aller à Leicester" ?"

President Tayeb announced "in the current state of things, i'm not going to take the risk of receiving Zebre or of going to Leicester?"

And the Bayonne club doctor:

"J’entends bien que les protocoles se sont alignés, mais laisser partir mon équipe en Angleterre, qui vient de confiner massivement son pays et qui compte 50 000 cas par jour, je trouve que c’est complètement ridicule. Je ne suis vraiment pas à l’aise avec ça et les joueurs ne le sont pas non plus. Beaucoup d’équipes ont le même sentiment."

" I hear that the protocols are coming into line, but to let my team leave for England, who've just comprehensively gone into lockdown and have 50,000 cases a day, I find is completely ridiculous. I'm not at all at ease with that and neither are the players. Many teams have the same feeling"

Now Bayonne may come under extreme pressure from European Rugby to fulfill their fixtures, but my guess is that they'll dig their heels in and refuse.
We'll see!

[OakhamTiger32]

So, a bit early to start this thread I know, but I thought it'd be worth getting one going.

Basically, what is going on? Multiple reports around, that Bayonne have pulled out of European games but nothing on EPCR and now we have a ref! What the flippin' heck!

I think the only reports that ultimately matter are those coming directly from the club itself. They said “ As things stand, the club will not play the two Challenge Cup matches scheduled for Friday 15 and 22 January against Leicester and Zebre Rugby. He will not resume competition until after an interruption of one and a half months, on the occasion of the reception of SU Agen on the weekend of January 30.

More information will be provided after the return of the National Rugby League Medical Commission”

In all probability it’s not going to happen if the club want to pull out and don’t think it’s safe to play and tbh I don’t blame them given the national lockdown and current infection rates in England!

[ourla]

Got to say I don't know how the team plan to travel to the game but I would have thought it would be a private charter.

And once they are here they can train in isolation, stay in a hotel in isolation if required. The only danger might be interacting with the opposition but if everyone is following the same testing protocols.

Just seems a bit lame to me.

[mol2]

Presumably a no show is a 28:0 score.

[loretta]

I would think so, and a hefty fine.

[ads]

Well, we always struggle for bonus points, so every cloud....

[mol2]

Sides enter the competition and expect to follow the rules, the current ones include Covid testing.

If you don't want to play according to the rules then don't enter. France is far from Covid free itself so no reason to not go ahead under the current legislation in England and France.

[Tigerbeat]

Sides enter the competition and expect to follow the rules, the current ones include Covid testing.

If you don't want to play according to the rules then don't enter. France is far from Covid free itself so no reason to not go ahead under the current legislation in England and France.

Current legislation does allow for elite sports to continue and the movement of teams between countries is controlled as per protocols.

[JP14]

Bayonne have legitimate concerns, but for me it's whether they're genuinely so worried about the new Covid strain or they just can't be bothered to play in a meaningless game for them and the UK's current predicament is a convenient excuse.

[TigerFeetSteve]

Given the additional transmissibility of this strain I would think moving to two tests per week would be sensible, one on Monday as current & one Thursday, so results in before team announcements.

This would surely alleviate the French clubs concerns and mean outbreaks will not become so widespread as outbreaks would be picked before they are as far spread in a squad

[Systonite]

The tests are not cheap.

[kk20gb30]

Perhaps a case for uniform protocol procedure where applicable through out the game - that way (hopefully) no debate or argument.

[TigerFeetSteve]

Just seen on the BBC that new protocols introduced by the EPCR include matchday -3 testing