Any foreign sportsman, amateur or professional, who comes to compete in France must be vaccinated to enter a sports arena, according to government sources.
The day after Novak Djokovic’s expulsion from Australia, the French government clarified that the vaccination pass would not only apply to amateur and professional athletes based in France but also to foreign athletes who come for competitions.
This position clarifies remarks made last week by the Minister of Sports Roxana Maracineanu, who had hinted that the health bubble in force during the Roland-Garros tournament would allow unvaccinated athletes from abroad to be received. Like Djokovic.
The 6 Nations Tournament in sight
An athlete “who will not be vaccinated (…) will be able to participate in the competition because the protocol, the health bubble of these major sporting events, will allow it”, explained the minister on France Info on January 7.
Currently, it is not necessary to be vaccinated to enter French soil, but the vaccination pass will apply to everyone who enters an establishment open to the public (“ERP”).
The next international competitions are a judo tournament, the Grand Slam (February 5-6), as well as the 6 Nations tournament (February 5-March 19).
This obligation to be vaccinated may mean that there will no longer be a health bubble stricto sensu around an international competition, but this is not yet completely settled.