French rugby federation president Bernard Laporte remains optimistic that the Six Nations will go ahead as scheduled despite the COVID-19 crisis.

“It’s a puzzle, but I think we shouldn’t be alarmed about the Six Nations tournament,” Laporte told French radio RMC on Sunday.

“The tournament will be played with a health protocol decided by the government.

“Everything went well in the autumn (for the Autumn Nations Cup), it will be the same for the upcoming Six Nations tournament, I’m not that worried.”

On Saturday, the French sports ministry 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.

A number of nations have recently closed their borders to Britain and South Africa after fast-spreading variants of the novel coronavirus were identified in those two countries.

Laporte confirmed that meetings would take place early next week to discuss the Six Nations, which is due to start on February 6.