Northern Edition

Select Edition

Northern Northern
Southern Southern
Global Global
New Zealand New Zealand
France France

'It's disgusting': Toulon president slams decision to cancel his team's match at Leinster

(Photo by PA)

Toulon owner Bernard Lemaitre has slammed the decision to cancel his team’s Heineken Champions Cup round of 16 match at Leinster less than five hours before the scheduled Friday evening kickoff in Dublin. The French club had declared a positive Covid-19 test in their squad to tournament organisers EPCR on Wednesday.

ADVERTISEMENT

There was no major issue with this at the time, EPCR giving Toulon the go-ahead to travel to Dublin minus the player who had tested positive. However, the outlook eventually changed and the match that was due to be played at the RDS was cancelled only hours before it was due to start.

French website rugbyrama.fr quoted a furious Lemaitre following the cancellation, saying: “It’s disgusting. The player tested positive on Wednesday and immediately isolated. The EPCR was immediately informed but let us go to Dublin for more than 24 hours and despite a total negative re-test of the players last night [Thursday] at 8pm, these people made this decision less than five hours before the match.”

Video Spacer

Devin Toner guests on RugbyPass All Access talking about freak athlete second rows

Video Player is loading.
Current Time 0:00
Duration 23:53
Loaded: 2.09%
Stream Type LIVE
Remaining Time 23:53
 
1x
    • Chapters
    • descriptions off, selected
    • captions off, selected
    • en (Main), selected
    Video Spacer

    Devin Toner guests on RugbyPass All Access talking about freak athlete second rows

    It’s the second time Toulon have travelled for an away Champions Cup match this season only for it not to take place. Last December they had arrived in Wales to take on Scarlets but they never left Cardiff airport due to concerns over the integrity of the safety bubble surrounding the game.

    EPCR blamed Toulon for that cancellation and awarded Scarlets a 28-0 win, and the boardroom outcome has been similar on this occasion. The French were again deemed to be at fault and were eliminated from the tournament, leaving Leinster to progress to a quarter-final next weekend away to the winners of this Saturday’s Exeter versus Lyon match.

    To defend themselves, Toulon have now published a statement on social media. It read: “Rugby Club Toulonnais learned this Friday with amazement of the decision to cancel tonight’s match in Leinster due to the presence of a positive case for Covid-19 in the red and black squad.

    “While the PCR tests performed on the entire squad on Monday, March 29, all had negative results, the tests carried out on Wednesday, March 31, revealed a positive case, that of a frontline player of the RCT. In accordance with protocol, the RCT leaders then immediately notified the EPCR and the LNR. The player in question was placed in solitary confinement.

    ADVERTISEMENT

    “The EPCR responded a few hours later to ask further questions of the RCT doctor. The latter then answered the entire questionnaire submitted. The EPCR then requested ‘contact tracing’ for the player in question.

    “The RCT provided it as soon as possible, specifying that the departure for Ireland was set for Thursday morning, April 1). The EPCR then analysed, with the support of an independent doctor, the ‘contact tracing’ file provided by the RCT.

    “At the end (late Thursday afternoon), the EPCR asked the club to perform a new PCR test on the entire red and black squad in Ireland. These tests were therefore carried out last night in the Irish capital and all the results came out negative.

    “Finally, the EPCR considered this Friday morning (a few hours before the match) that front row players were considered contact cases and that they could not take part in the match, offering the possibility of shifting the meeting to Sunday on condition of replacing the six front row players. An obvious sporting impossibility…

    ADVERTISEMENT

    “This is once again proof of the errors linked to the organisation of European competitions. The EPCR left the players and staff to travel to Ireland, prepare for the match, only to deprive them a few hours before kickoff of taking part in this major event. Rugby Club Toulonnais strongly deplores this decision and sends its thoughts to all its supporters who were impatiently awaiting this meeting.”

    ADVERTISEMENT

    Boks Office | Episode 41 | Investec Champions Cup final preview

    Hong Kong China vs Kazakhstan | Asia Rugby Emirates Women's Championship | Match Highlights

    Kubota Spears vs Tokyo Sungoliath | Japan Rugby League One 2024/25 | Quarter Final Replay

    Australia vs USA | Pacific Four Series 2025 | Full Match Replay

    New Zealand vs Canada | Pacific Four Series 2025 | Full Match Replay

    South Africa vs New Zealand | The Rugby Championship U20's | Full Match Replay

    Argentina vs Australia | The Rugby Championship U20's | Full Match Replay

    The Game that Made Jonah Lomu

    The gruelling reality behind one of the fastest sports in the world | The Report

    Trending on RugbyPass

    Comments

    0 Comments
    Be the first to comment...

    Join free and tell us what you really think!

    Sign up for free
    ADVERTISEMENT

    Latest Features

    Comments on RugbyPass

    S
    Solenn Bonnet 12 days ago
    Leinster cleanse palette with record URC scoreline against Zebre

    My name is Solenn Bonnet, and I am a single mother navigating the challenges of raising my two-year-old child while trying to make ends meet. I came across a trading platform that promised astonishing daily profits of 18%. The allure of such a high return on investment was too tempting to resist, and I found myself drawn into cryptocurrency trading. Excited by the prospect of financial freedom, I invested a significant amount of my savings, totaling over 5.7 BTC. However, what started as a hopeful venture quickly turned into a nightmare. The platform was a scam, and I lost everything I had invested. The emotional toll of this loss was immense; I felt devastated and helpless, struggling to provide for my child and keep up with my bills. In my desperate attempt to recover my funds, I sought help from various recovery experts. Unfortunately, I encountered numerous fraudulent individuals who claimed they could help me retrieve my lost money. Each time I reached out, I was met with disappointment and further scams, which only deepened my despair. Last year was one of the most challenging periods of my life, filled with anxiety and uncertainty about my financial future. Feeling overwhelmed and at a loss, I confided in a close friend from church about my situation. She listened compassionately and shared her own experiences with financial difficulties. Understanding my plight, she introduced me to Tech Cyber Force Recovery, a group of skilled hackers known for their expertise in recovering lost funds. Skeptical yet hopeful, I decided to reach out to them as a last resort. Their services came at a higher cost, but my friend generously offered to help me with a partial payment. I was amazed by how quickly they responded and began the recovery process. Their team was professional, efficient, and incredibly supportive throughout the entire ordeal. To my relief, they successfully recovered more than I had lost to those heartless scammers. This was truly transformative, and I felt a sense of relief and gratitude that I hadn’t felt in a long time. I strongly encourage anyone who has faced similar challenges or fallen victim to scams to reach out to Tech Cyber Force Recovery. If you’ve invested in a fraudulent platform like I did, they are highly capable of helping you reclaim your hard-earned money. Don’t lose hope; there is a way to recover what you’ve lost.

    CONSULT TECH CYBER FORCE RECOVERY

    EMAIL.. support@techyforcecyberretrieval.com

    WhatsApp.. +15617263697

    website.. https://techyforcecyberretrieval.com

    Telegram.. +15617263697

    0 Go to comments
    TRENDING
    TRENDING Fissler Confidential: The latest England international to snub Leicester Tigers Fissler Confidential: The latest England international to snub Tigers
    Search