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French deputy sports minister won't guarantee Six Nations trip to Ireland

France's Deputy Minister for Sport says they will fulfil their first fixture in this season's Six...



France's Deputy Minister for Sport says they will fulfil their first fixture in this season's Six Nations, but remains non-committal regarding the rest.

France begin the defence of their title with a game against Italy in Rome on February 6.

They're then due to travel to the Aviva Stadium seven-days' later to face Andy Farrell's Ireland side.

After meeting with the French Rugby Federation (FFR) on Tuesday, Roxana Maracineanu said, "The first match against Italy should not be a problem

"For the games against Ireland and England, we must really obtain the necessary guarantees from these countries so that they show us that the protocol is as demanding and serious as the one we have in France.

"When there are international meetings we endanger, in a way, the health of these athletes.

"So we need to have the guarantees - similar to our own commitments - as means to preserve the health of athletes, and it must be the same in all countries."

The next two rounds of European club fixtures have already been postponed due to French fears regarding the spread of COVID-19.

 

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Coronavirus Covid-19 France Ireland Roxana Maracineanu Six Nations