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Toulon criticise decision to call off Champions Cup tie against Leinster but turn down chance to play on Sunday

Leinster are due to take on Toulon in the Champions Cup this evening at the RDS Expand

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Leinster are due to take on Toulon in the Champions Cup this evening at the RDS

Leinster are due to take on Toulon in the Champions Cup this evening at the RDS

Leinster are due to take on Toulon in the Champions Cup this evening at the RDS

Ruaidhri O'Connor Twitter

Toulon have hit out at Heineken Champions Cup organisers EPCR (European Professional Club Rugby) over their decision to cancel today's last 16 clash against Leinster at the RDS, but the Top 14 club turned down the offer of the match being played on Sunday if they could bring in six new front-row players.

An unnamed front-row player in the Toulon squad tested positive for Covid-19 on Wednesday night, but after informing EPCR of the outcome the squad were given permission to travel to Dublin by the tournament organisers according to the club's president Bernard Lamaitre.

The players and management were tested again at their Stillorgan hotel and those tests all came back negative, but the Match Day Medical Risk Assessment Committee, which comprises of medical leads from the participating unions, leagues and both clubs, decided that there were a number of "high-risk contacts" with the player who had tested positive and "deemed the match unsafe".

A Match Result Resolution Committee will decide the outcome of the game, but it is almost certain that Leinster will progress to the quarter-final to face either Exeter Chiefs or Lyon next weekend.

"Although the RC Toulon players and staff who had travelled undertook an additional round of PCR testing in Dublin yesterday (Thursday 1 April) which revealed no positive results, the Committee concluded that there were a number of high-risk contacts with the player who had tested positive and deemed the match unsafe to play with the participation of those identified contacts," an EPCR statement read.

Having been notified of that position, RC Toulon informed EPCR that they could not select a match-day squad to safely fulfil the fixture.

"Having explored all possible alternative arrangements to facilitate the staging of the fixture, it was decided that the match could not be played safely given both the current public health guidelines in Ireland and EPCR’s COVID-19 protocol.

"A Match Result Resolution Committee will be convened as soon as practicable to determine the outcome of the fixture."

In a statement, Toulon confirmed that all of their travelling front-row players were deemed close contacts and, despite being offered a chance to play on Sunday, they described it as a "sporting impossibility" and turned it down.

Toulon are not happy with the turn of events and president Bernard Laimaitre described it as a "scandal".

"It's sickening, the player tested positive on Wednesday and immediately isolated," he told RugbyRama. The EPCR were immediately informed, but let us go to Dublin. For more than 24 hours. And despite a negative total re-test of the players last night at 8p.m., these people made this decision less than 5 hours before the game."

In an official statement, Toulon said: "The Rugby Club Toulonnais deeply deplores this decision and sends its thoughts to all its supporters who were looking forward to this match.

"This is once again proof of the errors associated with the organisation of European competitions. The EPCR allowed the players and staff to go to Ireland, prepare for the match, and finally deprive him a few hours before kick-off to participate in this major event."

EPCR statement in full

Following a meeting by video conference of a Match Day Medical Risk Assessment Committee comprising medical leads from the unions, league bodies and both clubs, with input from the public health authorities in Ireland, it has been decided to cancel the Heineken Champions Cup, Round of 16 match between Leinster Rugby and RC Toulon which was scheduled for this evening (Friday 2 April) at the RDS Arena.

The Committee, which received independent medical advice from Dr Brendan Payne (England) and Dr Daniel Koch (Switzerland), was informed that an RC Toulon player, who did not travel to Ireland, had tested positive for COVID-19 as part of the club’s routine testing.

Although the RC Toulon players and staff who had travelled undertook an additional round of PCR testing in Dublin yesterday (Thursday 1 April) which revealed no positive results, the Committee concluded that there were a number of high-risk contacts with the player who had tested positive and deemed the match unsafe to play with the participation of those identified contacts.

Having been notified of that position, RC Toulon informed EPCR that they could not select a match day squad to safely fulfil the fixture.

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Having explored all possible alternative arrangements to facilitate the staging of the fixture, it was decided that the match could not be played safely given both the current public health guidelines in Ireland and EPCR’s COVID-19 protocol.

A Match Result Resolution Committee will be convened as soon as practicable to determine the outcome of the fixture.

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