England’s rugby players must be fully vaccinated to play against France in Paris next year, following new requirements from the French government next month.

Under the new rules, professional athletes in France must be fully vaccinated from 15 January. The French government will ensure that mandatory requirements apply to groups arriving from abroad. Under the new rules, outdoor sporting events will be limited to 5,000 spectators.

All athletes must present a government passport to enter the stadium and participate in the tournament, and only vaccination certificates will be accepted from mid-January, when a negative test result is allowed.

England are set to play France in Paris on the final day of the Six Nations on March 19, and there is no public information on how many of their players have not been vaccinated, the Henry Slate Center has revealed in the past. They have not been vaccinated yet.

As nearly all British and Irish Lions players have been double banned from touring South Africa this summer, a total of 13 English players selected for the tour will be vaccinated.

The UK also exceeded the 85% threshold needed to ease facilities such as internal restrictions and social distancing in the fall, although hitting the same limit in all six UK countries is clear based on the makeup of UK head coach Eddie. may change substantially. , Jones teams up for the championship next spring.

An RFU spokesman said: “We will always follow the government’s travel advice and continue to monitor travel policies ahead of the UK Six Nations game in France next March.”

France is set to welcome Italy and Ireland in Paris next year in the first two rounds of the Six Nations.

The news could also affect the Champions Trophy, which has already been hit hard this season by a number of cancellations due to travel restrictions following a rise in Sarkar-19 or Omiron cases. The Sharks, Northampton Saints and Exeter Chiefs are set to play in France next month following the January 15 rule change.

About 98% of professional rugby players in France are now vaccinated, suggesting that Fabian Culti’s side will not be affected much as France seeks to win the top six nations title since 2010. championship next year.