The 13th day of the Top 14 begins Sunday December 26 at 6 p.m., with Perpignan / Castres. This Boxing Day rugby version exists since 2009 and this year is placed under the sign of solidarity. But the spread of Covid-19 has resulted in the postponement of four of the seven games gala.
>> Top 14: Toulouse to regain its head, battle for the Top 6, the graduates can dream… The challenges of Boxing Day
Faced with the situation, the League has scheduled an emergency meeting early next week to adopt a new health plan. In the meantime, the players are becoming educators, like Toulouse’s Thomas Ramos. “Obviously, the evolution of the epidemic is scary. It is not for me to say it but we must continue to wear the mask so that we can, each one, in all our fields, continue to do what we do”, argues the international rear.
Thomas Ramos was to be on the field Sunday evening against the Stade Français. But the League announced in the morning by press release the postponement of the match Due to “the health situation of the workforce” Parisian.
Playing Christmas week was a puzzle anyway to prepare for the middle of the holidays, all the coaches confirm. Thus, the Parisians could not rally Toulouse, the day before the match, as usual, explains their manager Gonzalo Quesada. “We didn’t see each other traveling on the 25th. It meant ruining the 25th for the players.” And the manager concludes fatalistic: “There is necessarily a little weird preparation with Christmas. But we adapt.”
Playing during Boxing Day usually means playing in sold-out stadiums, or almost. At the Toulouse Stadium, more than 30,000 spectators were expected Sunday evening before the announcement of a postponement of the meeting.
Among them, people invited by the Restos du Cœur. This is the other beautiful facet of Boxing Day, dedicated to the association with fundraising, jerseys sold at auction and even players who willingly lend themselves to the song. Lhe League has already offered 30,000 meals to Restaurants.