All rugby Test matches scheduled for July have been postponed because of the coronavirus, World Rugby announced on Friday, saying they were impossible to stage given ongoing quarantine and travel restrictions.
“Extended travel and quarantine restrictions that apply to numerous countries, and concerns over adequate player preparation time, mean that any sort of cross-border international rugby competition cannot be hosted in July,” World Rugby said in a statement.
“Our big question mark is October-November,” Laporte added. “Will the northern hemisphere be able to go to the southern hemisphere and vice versa? We’ll really know in mid-June or late June. But it seems compromised.” The northern hemisphere Six Nations tournament remains unfinished while the southern hemisphere nations have concerns about the four-nation Rugby Championship, featuring New Zealand, South Africa, Australia and Argentina, which is due to start in August.Laporte is campaigning for a longer international window in the autumn: “We want to go to the southern hemisphere in October and have them come to the north in November, replacing July with October.
“When you see the financial difficulties these federations are in, you have to help them. Afterwards, if the conditions forbid us to go, it’s something else. And I understand the clubs who need to do play their competitions but we’ll have to find common ground. We’ll be taking decisions at the end of June.”
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Former Proteas captain Faf du Plessis backs double quarantine to salvage T20 World CupFormer South Africa skipper Faf du Plessis said quarantining players for two weeks before and after the 2020 Twenty20 Cricket World Cup could allow it to take place in Australia this year despite the coronavirus pandemic.
Read more »
KEVIN MCCALLUM: What will the world be like when this whole thing ends?Lives are like a fat dachshund stop-starting her way across an empty field
Read more »
IEA predicts worst is over for world oil productionDespite a more upbeat tone on the state of global oil markets, the International Energy Agency acknowledges the outlook remains uncertain
Read more »
Faf du Plessis proposes a strategy to save the T20 World CupCompetition can take place if players are quarantined before and after the event, former skipper says
Read more »
World leaders demand free coronavirus vaccine for allPresident Cyril Ramaphosa was among more than 140 signatories, saying any vaccine should not be patented while the science should be shared between nations.
Read more »
Cyril Ramaphosa among world leaders demanding free Covid-19 vaccine for allWorld leaders past and present insisted on Thursday that any eventual Covid-19 vaccines and treatments should be made available to everyone, free of charge.
Read more »