French embassy forced to step in after rugby stars left stranded at Bristol Airport

French embassy forced to step in after rugby stars left stranded at Bristol Airport

The French embassy has been forced to step in after four rugby stars were left stranded at Bristol Airport after being refused entry into the UK. French international winger Louis Bielle-Biarrey, along with teammates Romain Gardrat, Matis Perchaud and Toma Taufa, was turned away at passport control for not holding a valid electronic travel authorisation (ETA), the digital permit required for short-stay visitors who are otherwise visa-exempt. The conditioning coach, Manu Espiasse, was also reportedly caught up in the situation. The two-time defending European champions are due to face Gloucester at Kingsholm at 8pm tonight in the Champions Cup. TRENDING Stories Videos Your Say British border officials were understood to have shown no willingness to bend the rules despite the circumstances, according to Agence France-Presse. A source said: "The English authorities don't want to hear anything about it. "We've told them that these are top-level athletes, including a well-known French international, who came to play a European Rugby Cup match, but they are inflexible." The ETA system requires eligible travellers to obtain digital clearance before arriving in the UK, and authorities have declined to grant any exemption regardless of the players' high-profile status or the urgency of the fixture. LATEST SPORTS NEWS European round-up as Bournemouth, Sunderland and Brighton all win while Crystal Palace suffer defeat Harry Kane makes decision on Bayern Munich future amid contract discussions Steven Gerrard open to shock Wrexham job as pressure mounts on Phil Parkinson Bordeaux-Begles launched a concerted effort on both political and diplomatic fronts to break the deadlock. The club reached out to the mayor of Bordeaux and the French embassy in London. A source told AFP: "We have notified the authorities, the mayor of Bordeaux, Thomas Cazenave, and the French embassy in London to get things moving again." Following their efforts, the quartet and Espiass