Toulouse's French flanker Antoine Miquel in action during a French Top 14 match against Montpellier. AFP
Toulouse's French flanker Antoine Miquel in action during a French Top 14 match against Montpellier. AFP
Toulouse's French flanker Antoine Miquel in action during a French Top 14 match against Montpellier. AFP
Toulouse's French flanker Antoine Miquel in action during a French Top 14 match against Montpellier. AFP

French sports ministry wants rugby games v British clubs postponed amid Covid-19 crisis


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The French sports ministry has recommended that European rugby union games against British clubs be postponed amid the Covid-19 crisis in a blow to the Champions and Challenge Cups as the Six Nations competition also appeared threatened on Saturday.

The Ministry of Solidarity and Health informed organisers the French National Rugby League (LNR) and European Professional Club Rugby (EPCR) on Thursday that the government wanted short-term measures introduced to stop the matches going ahead.

In a statement sent to Reuters on Saturday the sports ministry said "the French Government is moving, in the short term, towards the adoption of measures to restrict or even prohibit the participation of French team sports clubs in [rugby] matches including teams from the United Kingdom".

The ministry said it was writing this weekend to invite the LNR to postpone the next matches with British clubs "in accordance with the wishes expressed by several professional French rugby clubs over the last few days".

A source within the LNR told Reuters it would follow recommendations from the ministry but had not received them yet.

Among scheduled Champions Cup matches are Toulon v Scarlets, Montpellier v Wasps, Lyon v Glasgow, Racing 92 v Harlequins and Toulouse v Ulster over the January 15 and 22 weekends.

The sports ministry added that it would set up a specific meeting on the Six Nations rugby union championship at the beginning of next week, without saying who would take part.

The Six Nations starts on February 6 with France v Scotland on February 28 the first game involving a French-British clash.

Countries around the world have in recent days closed their borders to Britain and South Africa following the identification of new, fast-spreading variants of the novel coronavirus in those countries.

Earlier this week, the French health ministry said 22 cases of new variants of the coronavirus had been detected in France.

The ministry also said in a statement that two high-risk clusters that may include the new Covid-19 variant first detected in Britain had been found in the Brittany and Paris regions.

The five pillars of Islam

1. Fasting 

2. Prayer 

3. Hajj 

4. Shahada 

5. Zakat 

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Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.

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UAE v Gibraltar

What: International friendly

When: 7pm kick off

Where: Rugby Park, Dubai Sports City

Admission: Free

Online: The match will be broadcast live on Dubai Exiles’ Facebook page

UAE squad: Lucas Waddington (Dubai Exiles), Gio Fourie (Exiles), Craig Nutt (Abu Dhabi Harlequins), Phil Brady (Harlequins), Daniel Perry (Dubai Hurricanes), Esekaia Dranibota (Harlequins), Matt Mills (Exiles), Jaen Botes (Exiles), Kristian Stinson (Exiles), Murray Reason (Abu Dhabi Saracens), Dave Knight (Hurricanes), Ross Samson (Jebel Ali Dragons), DuRandt Gerber (Exiles), Saki Naisau (Dragons), Andrew Powell (Hurricanes), Emosi Vacanau (Harlequins), Niko Volavola (Dragons), Matt Richards (Dragons), Luke Stevenson (Harlequins), Josh Ives (Dubai Sports City Eagles), Sean Stevens (Saracens), Thinus Steyn (Exiles)

Other acts on the Jazz Garden bill

Sharrie Williams
The American singer is hugely respected in blues circles due to her passionate vocals and songwriting. Born and raised in Michigan, Williams began recording and touring as a teenage gospel singer. Her career took off with the blues band The Wiseguys. Such was the acclaim of their live shows that they toured throughout Europe and in Africa. As a solo artist, Williams has also collaborated with the likes of the late Dizzy Gillespie, Van Morrison and Mavis Staples.
Lin Rountree
An accomplished smooth jazz artist who blends his chilled approach with R‘n’B. Trained at the Duke Ellington School of the Arts in Washington, DC, Rountree formed his own band in 2004. He has also recorded with the likes of Kem, Dwele and Conya Doss. He comes to Dubai on the back of his new single Pass The Groove, from his forthcoming 2018 album Stronger Still, which may follow his five previous solo albums in cracking the top 10 of the US jazz charts.
Anita Williams
Dubai-based singer Anita Williams will open the night with a set of covers and swing, jazz and blues standards that made her an in-demand singer across the emirate. The Irish singer has been performing in Dubai since 2008 at venues such as MusicHall and Voda Bar. Her Jazz Garden appearance is career highlight as she will use the event to perform the original song Big Blue Eyes, the single from her debut solo album, due for release soon.

Gothia Cup 2025

4,872 matches 

1,942 teams

116 pitches

76 nations

26 UAE teams

15 Lebanese teams

2 Kuwaiti teams

SQUADS

Pakistan: Sarfraz Ahmed (capt), Azhar Ali, Shan Masood, Sami Aslam, Babar Azam, Asad Shafiq, Haris Sohail, Usman Salahuddin, Yasir Shah, Mohammad Asghar, Bilal Asif, Mir Hamza, Mohammad Amir, Hasan Ali, Mohammad Abbas, Wahab Riaz

Sri Lanka: Dinesh Chandimal (capt), Lahiru Thirimanne (vice-capt), Dimuth Karunaratne, Kaushal Silva, Kusal Mendis, Sadeera Samarawickrama, Roshen Silva, Niroshan Dickwella, Rangana Herath, Lakshan Sandakan, Dilruwan Perera, Suranga Lakmal, Nuwan Pradeep, Vishwa Fernando, Lahiru Gamage

Umpires: Ian Gould (ENG) and Nigel Llong (ENG)
TV umpire: Richard Kettleborough (ENG)
ICC match referee: Andy Pycroft (ZIM)

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Creator: Mike White

Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell

Rating: 4.5/5

F1 The Movie

Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem

Director: Joseph Kosinski

Rating: 4/5

Pots for the Asian Qualifiers

Pot 1: Iran, Japan, South Korea, Australia, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, China
Pot 2: Iraq, Uzbekistan, Syria, Oman, Lebanon, Kyrgyz Republic, Vietnam, Jordan
Pot 3: Palestine, India, Bahrain, Thailand, Tajikistan, North Korea, Chinese Taipei, Philippines
Pot 4: Turkmenistan, Myanmar, Hong Kong, Yemen, Afghanistan, Maldives, Kuwait, Malaysia
Pot 5: Indonesia, Singapore, Nepal, Cambodia, Bangladesh, Mongolia, Guam, Macau/Sri Lanka

MATCH INFO

Everton v Tottenham, Sunday, 8.30pm (UAE)

Match is live on BeIN Sports

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Tearful appearance

Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday. 

Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow. 

She appeared with Keir Starmer on Thursday and the pair embraced, but he had failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.

A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Directors: Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, Adrian Molina

Rating: 4/5

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