It was to be one of the Boxing Day posters organized between Christmas and New Years by the National Rugby League. An important match in the fight to stay in the Top 14. The meeting between Castres Olympique and Aviron Bayonnais, scheduled for Sunday 27 December (4 p.m.) and counting for the 12th day of the championship will finally be played at a later date. A date unknown at the moment. This is the second postponement for Bayonne this season, after the reception of Toulon, scheduled for the end of October and played in November.
After the detection of several cases of coronavirus in Leicester, opponent of Bayonne last Saturday in the European Challenge, the Basque group has been particularly monitored. There was concern, excitement and some uncertainty, especially after learning that the Tigers’ league game against Newcastle (scheduled for this weekend in England) had been called off.
The Bayonne workforce and staff have been tested three times this week and it was after tests carried out this Saturday morning that the bad news fell. Seven positive cases among the Basques: which automatically results in the postponement of the match against the CO. The protocol of the National Rugby League provides for the meeting to be postponed from the moment when three players from the same squad test positive for coronavirus.
Direct consequence: positive players are placed in isolation and Aviron Bayonnais will not be able to train normally next week. Players will have to practice in small groups of seven or eight to stem the spread of the virus.
European competitions in the sights
Given the proximity of the two dates, the match against Pau scheduled for Saturday January 2 is also threatened. Especially since in the European Cup, the Section Paloise also faced an English club, the London Irish, where two positive cases were detected. Pau should have the results of new tests carried out this weekend in the evening.
The appearance of these cases of Covid-19 worries because in the Top 14 Championship, after a difficult start to the season, the situation seemed to have returned to normal. No match had been postponed since mid-November. Pointed out, the EPCR and its management of the health crisis. The governing body of rugby in Europe has at all costs wanted to organize its competitions on the old continent while in several countries the health situation was deteriorating. This gave rise to ubiquitous situations notably in the Champions Cup, when Toulon refused to play in Wales at Llanelli.
In a statement published this Saturday, December 26 in the afternoon, the Basque club also questions the efficiency of the health protocol of the structure that directs European rugby: “Aviron Bayonnais questions the consistency and effectiveness of the health protocol put in place by the EPCR and its much more flexible application conditions compared to those of the National Rugby League protocol. The club cannot what to deplore this situation which compromises the preparation of important deadlines in Top 14 “.
In addition, Aviron Bayonnais Rugby Pro announces that it must completely close its doors for a minimum period of 7 days, as a precaution, in order to contain the spread of the coronavirus and “consider a rapid and safe resumption of competition”.
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