Northampton Saints match against London Irish cancelled due to Covid

Leinster Rugby v Northampton Saints - European Champions Cup - Group A - RDS Arena Leinster Rugby's Hugo Keenan (left) and James Tracy tackle Northampton Saints' Fraser Dingwall during the European Champions Cup match at the RDS Arena, Dublin.
Credit: Lorraine O'Sullivan/PA Wire/PA Images

Sunday's clash between Northampton Saints and London Irish in rugby's Gallagher Premiership has been called off due to a coronavirus outbreak.

London Irish returned a number of positive tests in the latest round of testing and have players unavailable for the match due to the contact tracing protocols.

Premiership Rugby, in consultation with Public Health England, has called off the match and the London Irish training ground has been closed. The next round of testing will be on Monday 4 January.

A Premiership Rugby spokesperson said: “Our priority is the health and safety of those who have tested positive, and we will be giving London Irish all the support they need.

“We wish those who have tested positive a speedy and safe recovery. Neither Premiership Rugby nor the club will be naming any of the players or staff involved, and we’d ask everyone to respect their privacy.”

Under the Premiership Rugby regulations, the match between London Irish and Northampton Saints will be cancelled and a panel convened to determine the allocation of points.