Is the VI nation tournament going to happen?
Serge Simon: “At the moment, it has been maintained. This is some special edition as the previous one got a taste of unfinished business for the French team. We remember the game against Ireland, which was postponed and played this fall, when it was to be the final of the tournament. We had felt a new energy behind the XV of France in the result and state of mind, and it was unfortunately overcome by the epidemic. There, this new version will debut, and we know the Blues are looking for a title, so we can’t wait for it to unfold.
“We hope to comfort people”
We also want to bring a little happiness and dreams for the nation, even if I say it is a drop. In this particular period, some cultural or sporting events take place. So we hope to comfort people at our level, and we want this tournament to happen at once.”
How will the matches be held? Will the format of home and outdoor meetings remain the same or will it evolve?
SS: “The form remains unchanged and the meetings will be where they were supposed to be. We just wonder about the latest government measures falling to the level of PCR tests for passengers arriving in France less than 72 hours. We, the teams Wonders about the movements of. But above all, we are concerned about the decision to leave non-EU travelers who set foot on French soil for seven days. Tournaments in 6 countries such as Wales, England And Scotland are affected by this measure because of Brexit.
A waiver for a return to France?
And above all, it means that if we travel to the United Kingdom to play matches, we must present this quarantine when we return to French Earth. So we hope to benefit from a humiliating situation, as for the French handball team, which will soon return from the World Cup. We have requested and look forward to the decision with optimism. “
Is the health protocol the same for everyone? For example, when you land in England, do you have to go through seven days of quarantine?
SS: “Quarantines for all passengers were already present in Britain last fall, but discounts and games were one of them. We were out of quarantine when we went to play in Twinchenum and Murrayfield“
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Test two to three times a week
Speaking of sanitary protocol, can you describe it to us?
SS: “It’s very strict. It was already put in place during the autumn tournament and it worked very well. For 6 countries, it was reinforced with a lot of testing before entering the sanitary bubble. . We must undergo bi-weekly. Throughout the tournament or even tri-weekly test. This very careful and rigorous health protocol has two purposes: the first is to prevent the presence of an outbreak, c it says. That those present in the bubble are not carriers. Virus. The second appearance of a case of Kovid-19, a potential presence in the group or another team with the ability to quickly manage its non-proliferation.
With the federations, we meet twice a week to exchange test results and share our expertise in this context: so we know in real time the epidemic situation of each country participating in this competition.“
Is there a back-and-forth concern between club and player selection?
SS: “No, because it is a principle of selection and we also manage it with a strict protocol. Every time a player leaves, he is not left in the jungle! He finds another health bubble, as he is a professional rugby player and is subject to a very rigid protocol, which has been in force since early September. It is the idea that the player has a continuation of the bubble in his club, but also in the French team, with strict control and respect for health rules. Then, we try to manage contamination cases in clubs, and sometimes leads to postponement of matches“
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Why the European Cup has been postponed and the Six Nations tournament is not?
SS: “You have to ask the government, but I think the European cuts were postponed until the beginning of the British version of Kovid-19, because we were in the dark. Public officials have shifted matches for the month of January, meaning that there will be matches scheduled for February. The Six Nations tournament begins in February, as health conditions are also better controlled. The time factor matters a lot in this epidemic, because we see that, from one week to the next, decisions are flexed or harsh. It is a question of the dynamics of the crisis.”
Finally, how do you see the end of the French team’s season?
Ss: “Already, I hope to have 6 nations tournaments. After that, we have a trip planned in Australia. And there is a question mark, not on the possibility of meetings, but on protocol. Because in Australia, we place a quarantine date of fourteen days upon arrival. But at the moment, no decision has been made for the month of July. We hope that things will improve a lot, and why not, the public will return to the stadium to support the Blues. With the implementation of the vaccination campaign, we hope that the situation will improve.”
