No crowds will be permitted, so we might wonder if broadcasting revenue is sufficient reason to press on with the 2021 championship
At what point during a pandemic, with death rates spiralling upwards, does playing professional sport cease to be a good look? As the temporary morgues fill up and hospital staff find themselves under ever more intense pressure, should we really be concerned about England’s selection options against Scotland in just over three weeks? Talk about a parallel universe.
Hold that thought as we wait to learn whether the Six Nations, as the organisers still insist, will kick off on 6 February as scheduled. At the very least it will involve multiple cross-border journeys over seven weeks by players, coaches, officials, staff, media and assorted sanitised bottle washers. No crowds will be permitted to attend, clearly, but that means the championship is essentially happening purely for the broadcasting revenue. Is that sufficient reason to ignore the ambulance sirens and press on with European rugby’s annual travelling circus?
Related: Premiership announces two-week break amid Covid variant fears
Related: 2021: a year of hope or chaos for the biggest events in world sport?
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