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'Huge step backwards' - Biggar on potential of a fan-less Six Nations

By PA
(Photo by David Rogers/Getty Images)

Dan Biggar is concerned by the negative impact playing behind closed doors could have on the success of Wales’ Six Nations title defence.

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The champions’ first home game takes place against Scotland on February 12 but, under Covid restrictions imposed by the Welsh Government, only 50 spectators are permitted to view outdoor events.

The guidelines are reviewed weekly and First Minister Mark Drakeford has refused to give assurances that fans will be allowed to return in time for the Six Nations as case numbers for the Omicron variant continue to surge.

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Wales are also scheduled to host France and Italy at the Principality Stadium in March and face the prospect of playing over half the competition on home soil with the tiniest of crowds.

Meanwhile, sporting events in England have escaped restrictions for the time being, so Wales’ visit to Twickenham on February 26 will unfold before a full house of 82,000.

Biggar insists unless the rules are eased, Wayne Pivac’s side will be surrendering the benefit of playing in Cardiff.

“It would be great if we could have fans, wouldn’t it? You see what a difference it makes to an occasion. You saw it in the autumn, getting crowds back,” the Northampton and Lions playmaker said.

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“Everyone coming to games now has to have a passport, they’ll be double or triple-jabbed and it’s an outdoor event, so I don’t see why they wouldn’t be allowed in. As long as it’s safe, that’s the most important thing.

“It would be a huge, huge step backwards if there are no crowds for clubs and the Six Nations, which is obviously such a show-piece event.

“We played a lot of games with no crowds and if you look at the first handful of them, they almost felt like training games.

“It felt like it did not really matter whether you won or lost because it felt like a training match and the intensity was knocked out of it. You lose any advantage of playing at home.”

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Scotland, Ireland and France also have restrictions on numbers in place, while in Italy full houses are permitted as long as fans have proof of vaccination.

“I’m just relieved to have signed for a club in England. I think the rest of the lads in Wales are pretty frustrated with it. That’s normal, frustration, isn’t it?” Biggar said.

“We are probably getting into different things with politics now, but I think everything should be aligned.

“I hope for an event like the Six Nations and for the game up and down the UK moving forward that we get some sort of sensible outcome.

“As long as everyone is safe and double jabbed then I think it makes sense to keep crowds in.”

Biggar has 18 months left on his Northampton contract and the 32-year-old is determined to end his stay at Franklin’s Gardens with a trophy in the cabinet.

“I know we’ve slipped out the top four but if we beat Saracens on Sunday we’re probably going to climb straight back into it,” he said.

“If we can push for silverware in the next 18 months, that’s a huge aim for me. The club deserves to be pushing for that.”

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M.W.Keith 2 hours ago
'Let's not sugarcoat it': Former All Black's urgent call to protect eligibility rules

I understand that there are choices to be made in professional sports and choices have consequences, but it does seem strange that a professional athlete who plies their trade in order to make a living cannot represent their country at test level. All talk of loyalty and so on is an outdated argument, we live in a global economy. It makes the armchair critic feel nice and so on, chatting smack about loyalty to a jersey and so on, but to think that someone like Mounga is not loyal to NZ just bc he is taking a paycheck - which as a professional athlete he is entitled to do - is a quite silly. No one is calling PSDT or Handre Pollard disloyal to SA bc they are taking a better paycheck somewhere else. No one accuses Cheslin Kolbe of being disloyal to the Green and Gold just because he missed out on years of eligibility by playing in France. Since Rassie opened the selection policy, the overseas players have more than proved their worth. Anyone who says otherwise is deluded and is living in an outdated version of reality. South Africans understand that the ZAR is worth very little and so no one in the country criticises a South African for leaving to find better economic opportunities elsewhere.


This is the same for anyone, anywhere. If there is an economic opportunity for someone to take, should they lose national privilege because they are looking for a better paycheck somewhere else? What a silly idea. The government doesn't refuse your passport because you work in another country, why should you lose your national jersey for this? If a player leaves to a so-called lesser league and their ability to represent their national jersey at a high level diminishes bc of it, then that should say it all. If Mounga were to return to the ABs and his playmaking is better than D-Mac and BB, then he is the better player for the position. If BB and D-Mac eclipse him, then they are the better players and should get the nod. Why is this so difficult to understand? Surely you want the best players to play in the national team, regardless of who pays their monthly salary? Closing borders is historically a silly economic idea, why should it be any different in national level sports?


The old boys tradition in rugby has created a culture of wonderful sportsmanship, it is why we all (presumably) prefer the game to football. But when tradition gets in the way of common sense and sporting success, perhaps traditions should change. Players have the right to earn money, there is no need to punish them for it. Rugby needs to think globally if it wants to survive.

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