Ian Watson wants France vaccine mandate to apply for whole of Super League season
IAN Watson wants vaccine rules regarding France to stay for the whole Super League season – or its integrity may be compromised.
Huddersfield face being without several players for their opening match in Toulouse after France’s Government banned unjabbed players from entering the country.
And boss Watson wants that to stay beyond their match on February 12, so they are not hindered while the other nine England-based sides can pick regardless of their jab status.
He said: “As long as everyone plays by the same rules, that’s what you want.
“If we’re saying at the moment unvaccinated players can’t play, that’s got to be a rule that continues right across the board.
“We can’t control what the French Government decides. It might be in two weeks’ time they do what is happening here by saying people can travel in and are free to move around.
“But what I’d hate to happen is people questioning the integrity of the game because some clubs are fielding weakened teams.”
Watson admits he will not pressurise players into getting vaccinated after hearing arguments on both sides of the equation.
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However, he knows that if the UK copies the French with its mandate, people have to choose whether it is their belief or their job.
He added: “We’ll be without a few for Toulouse. We’re at about 83 per cent vaccinated but you’d like to be going with a full strength team.
“I don’t want to dive into it but there’ll be quite a few and it’s out of our hands. We can’t control the French Government, they make the rules.
“For me it’s about choice and everyone deserves to have the choice on what they want to do in life. People shouldn’t push opinions on each other.
“Would we like certain people to be vaccinated? Yeah, but some people have very strong beliefs around the vaccination.
“However, if the UK Government said, ‘You can’t play sport unless you’re vaccinated,’ that’s a totally different kettle of fish. People would really have a decision to make.”
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