2021 Six Nations to proceed as scheduled, for now.

2021 Six Nations to proceed as scheduled, for now.

In the wake of suggestions that the 2021 Six Nations tournament might be moved to the summer as the cloud of Covid-19 grows ever ominous, the organisers have confirmed that the tournament will go ahead as planned in February and March.

The first game kicks off on 6 February with Italy hosting France. No spectators will be allowed to witness any of the matches as lockdown measures endure.

The puzzle facing those in charge is that there are now serious and reasonable concerns that the British and Irish Lions tour will not transpire with the number of Covid infections in South Africa soaring at a troubling rate, ever fuelling the notion that the country will not be in a position to accommodate the spectacle.

Should the tour have to be scrapped, it would free up time in the summer wherein the Six Nations could take place - this time in front of crowds - as the vaccine continues to roll out in Britain and Europe.

All the unions would certainly benefit greatly from having spectators involved again as there was no one exempt from the tremendous financial knock which staggered the respective administrations financially in 2020.


However, for now, the people in the organising echelons appear to be sticking to their guns and the current schedule will not change unless necessitated by the Covid crisis.

“The Six Nations is planning for the tournament to go ahead as scheduled, but we are monitoring the situation with the unions and their respective governments and health authorities,” a spokesperson said.


“We are committed to the fixtures and monitoring the situation with all parties. Planning continues aligned with current guidelines,” the Rugby Football Union said.

It is a popular belief that a Lions tour played behind closed doors and without the travelling supporters would make for a diluted, bastardised version of the tradition. At present, however, the situation does not bode well for the remainder of 2021, and there is real credence in the growing opinion that, if possible, the tour should be postponed.

"We are continuing discussions with all parties and have no update beyond the recent statement from the Lions [that a decision would be made in the near future]," the RFU continued.

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