Reports coming out of England have suggested that the current sporting exemption on unvaccinated elite players not needing to isolate upon arrival in the country may be revoked.
Under the current guidelines in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, elite players, regardless of vaccination status, are permitted to enter the UK without needing to isolate, provided that they test negative.
This allows players to train and play matches freely in European and UK competitions if they are unvaccinated.
However, according to reports from the Telegraph, the UK government is considering removing the exemption on isolation for unvaccinated athletes.
According to the UK paper, Nadine Dorries, the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport in the UK, is in support of that exemption being revoked.
A number of different competitions and sports could be affected if this exemption is revoked, including the Premier League, Champions Cup, Champions League and the upcoming Six Nations.
Premier League teams involved in the Champions League or the other European competitions may need to be forced to choose two entirely different squads for the local matches and matches played outside of the UK, as any unvaccinated players will not be available for up to 10 days upon their reentry into the UK.
Similarly, Champions Cup matches which sees teams from France and England going head to head will also be affected.
Late last year, all Champions Cup matches between French and British clubs had been postponed due to similar restrictions being introduced by the French government.
However the EPCR had confirmed this week that the upcoming matches next week should be 'full steam ahead'.
All forms of competitions have experienced a number of issues with cancellations and postponements over the Christmas period.
Leinster have not managed to run out for a match since their Champions Cup tie against Bath on December 11th, due to postponements and forfeitures due to COVID-19.
Similarly, the Premier League has seen a host of matches postponed over the last three weeks.
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