England beat France 23-20 in their Six Nations clash on March 14. Photo / Getty Images
A new vaccine mandate set to be introduced in France could have repercussions for the 2022 Six Nations series for teams visiting the nation.
From January 15, all professional sportspeople in France must be fully jabbed. As things stand, it appears teams playing in France will only be able to
pick players they can prove have had their jabs, however the Daily Telegraph reports the government "will confirm whether the mandatory requirement will also apply to visiting teams from outside the country."
It could prove to cause some selection headaches for other nations, with France set to host Italy in Paris on February 7, Ireland on March 24 and England on March 30 in the final match of their campaign. England's first choice centre Henry Slade said last May that he was not going to have a vaccine.
The Six Nations won't be the only high profile sporting event that could be impacted by a vaccine mandate, as English premier League club Chelsea would also need to comply with the ruling when they face Lille in the Champions League.
A reported 98 per cent of professional rugby players are vaccinated in France, with the figure marginally lower in football.
