Perpignan defend decision

Team attempt to play down controversy over postponement

By Rachel Griffiths   Last updated: 30th November 2009   Subscribe to RSS Feed

Perpignan defend decision

Perpignan: Defend postponement decision

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Perpignan have rejected criticism of their last-minute decision to postpone their match against Bayonne due to a swine flu alert.

An official protest has been launched to the Ligue Nationale de Rugby (LNR) by Bayonne president Francis Salagoity, who claims his team should have been awarded the win after the clash was called off at short notice, forcing the Catalan team to turn back en-route to the match.

Perpignan have responded by releasing a statement on their official website defending the postponement and explaining that cases of the H1N1 virus had surfaced in the team ahead of the game.

"The USAP (Union Sportive des Arlequins Perpignanais) has only followed the procedure established by the LNR as part of the H1N1 influenza epidemic," said the statement.

"The USAP isolated suspected cases among its workforce and immediately informed the medical commission of the LNR after receiving analysis confirming a case of proven H1N1 influenza.

"Following this declaration, the medical board of the LNR held an emergency meeting and decided to postpone the match to avoid a risk of spreading the epidemic, and also decided to quarantine the Catalan team until Wednesday morning, forcing the Catalan group en route to Bayonne to make a U-turn from Saint-Gaudens.

"The USAP, which was normally prepared to play the match, has therefore done nothing but submit to a case of force majeure, causing the postponement of the match, and considers any controversy inappropriate."