Should the 2021 Six Nations go ahead?

I was just interested to see how we at 606v2 feel about this.

I believe it should not go ahead and we should wait until there is a clearer path to having fans back in stadiums.

What are your thoughts and opinions?

I read that they were thinking of doing that, maybe having it in the summer. Pushing the lions tour till next year. If that would be possible.

You could probably expect a game or two to be cancelled with covid.

Would much rather see the 6 nations with fans. Maybe in the autumn?

If club rugby is continuing the players will be less at risk from staying in a bubble for the 6 nations. The only thing stopping it currently is a concern of the new variant being spread to France and Italy, and stricter testing protocols should reduce that risk

Would much rather fans could attend but I still can’t see that being very likely at any point this year. At best I’d expect something like 50% capacity allowed in the very best case scenario

In light of that, I’d rather the games went ahead without fans than have the tournament cancelled. No idea how it’s going to work with the Lions tour also up in the air but hopefully we can see both go ahead

I can more see it going ahead as the 4 Nations, but yes it should be played.

4 nations? I hope not and if Italy and France will not play on the plague island will Ireland?

its a tricky one - rugby needs the tv income from the 6N but its a lessor spectacle without crowds and the risk to players is not insignificant

If the players are not playing in the Six Nations, will they not be playing for their clubs?

As long as the bubbles are in place and proper measures taken in testing players similar to those the French take which I believe is for a test on the Wednesday before a game rather than the Monday, will the players be at a greater risk than playing club rugby?

The game needs the revenue and as longs as players are not put at any further risk, I think they should go ahead. If the players are thought to be at increased risk a definite no.

Flog them.

TH, not sure a flogging is quiet what is required, a bit extreme don't you think.

Tough one as if you dont play then you lose the revenues and you have to watch utter mince on the tele

If pro sport is continuing then there is no reason the 6ns can't go ahead. Even France should be happy to take part.

With the lockdown though there is an argument for postponing. It's likely only going to be postponed if all pro sport is put on hold.

With the rainbow cup not going ahead it is entirely possible that the 6Ns could be held until April/May at which point we'd hopefully be in a better place than we are now. Of course though this would impact the English Prem so..............

Entirely possible that the Lions is pushed to next year and the 6Ns is put in its place this year. Next year fans should be returning which is more in the ethos of the Lions.

It should go ahead. All we hear is it will be better in 6 months so let's just wait. It won't be better in a year. There will be different variants.

We can't wait forever which is what alot of people want to do

France are looking at increasing restrictions there, doesn't bode well just as we are starting to get the spread rate down.

They cancelled the 6N half way through for the foot and mouth pandemic, yet in a society where people are dying people want it to continue.

For my liking all international sport needs to be put on hold, any competition where you need to go to another country to play needs to stop, and yes I include the Pro14 in this.

This is peoples lives we are talking about here, and it is not just sport, ALL international travel needs to stop. But this is for the covid thread.

Squads in a bubble being regularly tested are probably more safe then going to a supermarket and going up and down the busy aisles.

The players aren't your average Joe who isn't tested unless they show signs.  Foot and Mouth caused the 6 nations to be cancelled to limit people from driving all over the place.  Back then they didn't think to just play in empty stadia because we weren't all living under Marshall law/house arrest.

It is a grey, crap time of year at the height of a miserable pandemic where most of us are working from home if we are working at all. The days run into each other with few distractions.

I can't wait for the games to start.

If they can run the games safely, using the suggested precautions (Could they get vaccinated too?) then why not?

It's really bloody simple: if the unions play the 6N, they make at least some money, even if it's not what they'd have hoped for. If they don't, they don't. Given the financial pressure they are all under, the only sensible rationale for not wanting them to play is if you think the game will be better if we let them collapse and start again from scratch - which is a pretty high risk strategy.

Got to make the most of it being on free to air tv as well.

As much as I'd miss it, the 6 Nations (All leagues and ALL other contact sport), should be suspended at the moment.

They say, during the 6 Nations the teams will be in camp in a bubble, then Pivac adds but players will be allowed to go home to family in breaks. Well that says it for me, that there is no safe way to play the 6 Nations OR any rugby at all at the moment.

I'll miss it badly... but we have to be sensible and look at the bigger picture. Until the virus is under control, Rugby, Football and all other contact sport should be suspended at all levels, from grass roots to professional.

We have to stop players risking lives for entertainment. And by risking lives, I mean everyone's lives before some smart ass says they risk "their lives" every time they run on the field.

lostinwales wrote:It is a grey, crap time of year

excuse me?????

Call it off and reset today's results.

The French are dropping like flies to Covid.

3 down.

TightHEAD wrote:The French are dropping like flies to Covid.

3 down.

All non playing staff so far so I'd expect the game to go ahead. France likely to be a little undercooked as a result.

Do we know if the French team, including coaches and staff, have been in their own bubble?  We know it works.  I read their players will now isolate from each other and will be tested almost daily.  

On the other hand, in the NFL this past season, teams were not in a bubble and after a very tough start things settled down and people overwhelmingly followed the rules and there were very few people who needed to isolate.  In the beginning, though, there were fixtures moved and a number of people had to isolate either out of direct contact or due to coming in contact with people who thought they were in contact.  They have a lot more players and staff, but somehow pulled it off.  These lessons should work for all teams in all sports.

We all knew something like this would happen, they cancel the 6N for things like foot and mouth, yet when we are in a global pandemic with a threat to human life, we are allowed to carry on.

It should defo go ahead. we cannot have another year like last year.
otherwise there will be no rugby played at all.

Agree, we need our sport to help everyone get through.  Bl**dy Covid is not going away soon, though we might be able to get this thing by the scruff of its neck by late spring or so.  

Our sportsmen and women are people with lives as well.  Yes, they get paid, but they also need to take extra precautions.  Pressure is really on all of us.  Everywhere.  Let's just get our jabs and hope the pharmaceutical companies can do their damnedest to stay ahead of any mutations.  At this point I just want to get home and see my old man.

Looking more and more likely that the 6 Nations wont complete on schedule again this year, unless they start cancelling games.

I don't know how they can say the squads are in bubbles, when they let the go home for breaks and like this week release some to their clubs. Just making a mockery of it.

Wont be surprised if France are forced to pull out or cancel their games giving a default win to the opponents and that's going to make the tournament pointless.

No9 wrote:Looking more and more likely that the 6 Nations wont complete on schedule again this year, unless they start cancelling games.

I don't know how they can say the squads are in bubbles, when they let the go home for breaks and like this week release some to their clubs. Just making a mockery of it.

Wont be surprised if France are forced to pull out or cancel their games giving a default win to the opponents and that's going to make the tournament pointless.

Yep, couldn't agree more.

Trouble is, they want to shoe horn in the Lions tour as well, which as absolutely stupid as the money generated is by the fans spending money and they will lose that anyway.

The Lions tour should be cancelled Indefinitely until we are in control of this pandemic, and the 6N should have been postponed until at least 80% of the population have been inoculated. Your only talking a couple of months.