Catalans Dragons captain Remi Casty has declared he will not travel for the club's Super League meeting with Wigan Warriors if Sunday's game goes ahead as planned.
England's premier rugby league competition is one of the few elite sporting divisions in Europe not to cease playing as a result of the coronavirus outbreak.
Taking such a step is being discussed by clubs at a meeting in Huddersfield on Monday, but Casty insists he will take matters into his own hands due to concerns over those most vulnerable to the illness.
"I'm not sick, I'm not afraid of being either, but I don't want to catch this virus and pass it on to someone more fragile," Casty said, as quoted by Sky Sports.
"You have to be responsible for your actions, it is not a simple flu. We have never known a health crisis of this magnitude.
"I have just warned my team-mates and the staff that I will not be present [on Monday] in training. I made this decision and I will stick to it."
Casty suggested he found what he perceives to be different attitudes towards coronavirus in the UK when set against his homeland tough to understand.
"They said that as long as there was no case in a player, the championship was maintained," the 35-year-old added. "They [UK-based teams] are on an island, maybe they feel more protected than us or superior.
"I have the impression that they are adopting another strategy, hoping that the virus will pass faster than in France. This is only my opinion, in relation to what I read or see."
Catalans home game against Leeds Rhinos was the only scheduled Super League and Challenge Cup encounter not to proceed last weekend after Leeds opted not to travel on account of one of their players displaying coronavirus symptoms.
The unnamed player's test subsequently came back negative and the Rhinos, who could still face action from the Rugby Football League (RFL) for failing to fulfil the fixture, have resumed training.
On Monday. Catalans closed their club offices in line with a French government directive to close all "non-essential" locations.
Toronto Wolfpack have taken the decision to put their squad in self-isolation after four players displayed "mild possible symptoms" of COVID-19.
