France's players react following their Six Nations defeat to Scotland at Murrayfield. AFP
France's players react following their Six Nations defeat to Scotland at Murrayfield. AFP
France's players react following their Six Nations defeat to Scotland at Murrayfield. AFP
France's players react following their Six Nations defeat to Scotland at Murrayfield. AFP

Coronavirus: France's Six Nations match against Ireland in Paris postponed


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Saturday's Six Nations rugby match between France and Ireland in Paris has been postponed due to the coronavirus, tournament organisers have announced.

The game was due to be played in Paris on Saturday, but will now not go ahead on the advice of the French government.

England lead the table on points difference from France, who failed in their Grand Slam bid with defeat by Scotland on Sunday.

As it stands, the Wales v Scotland match is the only game in the final round of the Six Nations due to go ahead as originally scheduled, after the Italy v England game in Rome was postponed last week.

A statement from Six Nations Rugby read: "Following instructions received from the authorities in France, the decision has been made to postpone the Round 5 Guinness Six Nations match between France and Ireland. We are still awaiting confirmation for the Women's and U20s fixtures."

The Women's Six Nations fixture between Wales and Scotland has been postponed after a Scottish player tested positive for the virus. A further seven members of the Scotland camp - players and management - are self-isolating.

French sports minister Roxana Maracineanu announced the decision to postpone France's final fixture after an "agreement with the French Rugby Federation and tournament organisers".

There were reports on Monday lunchtime that the French sports ministry had decided matches in France's top-flight football competition, Ligue 1, should be played behind closed doors or in front of no more than 1,000 spectators as a measure to limit the spread of the virus.

Sports governing bodies in the United Kingdom attended a meeting with broadcasters and government officials on Monday to discuss contingency plans in the event that advice around coronavirus changes in the coming days or weeks.

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Sporting fixtures across the world played out to empty arenas

  • AC Milan's Samu Castillejo takes a corner in an empty San Siro Stadium during the Serie A match against Genoa, which was played behind closed doors due to the coronavirus outbreak in Italy. AP
    AC Milan's Samu Castillejo takes a corner in an empty San Siro Stadium during the Serie A match against Genoa, which was played behind closed doors due to the coronavirus outbreak in Italy. AP
  • Staff at the San Siro stadium check the temperature of a photographer ahead of the AC Milan v Genoa match. Reuters
    Staff at the San Siro stadium check the temperature of a photographer ahead of the AC Milan v Genoa match. Reuters
  • Sampdoria players before their Serie A match against Hellas Verona at Luigi Ferraris stadium in Genoa. EPA
    Sampdoria players before their Serie A match against Hellas Verona at Luigi Ferraris stadium in Genoa. EPA
  • Parma and SPAL play their Serie A soccer match in the empty Stadio Ennio Tardini, in Parma, Italy, on Sunday, March 8. AP
    Parma and SPAL play their Serie A soccer match in the empty Stadio Ennio Tardini, in Parma, Italy, on Sunday, March 8. AP
  • Coronavirus health checks take place before the Serie A match between Udinese and Fiorentina at Stadio Friuli on Sunday, March 8. Getty
    Coronavirus health checks take place before the Serie A match between Udinese and Fiorentina at Stadio Friuli on Sunday, March 8. Getty
  • Udinese and Fiorentina players warm-up in an empty Stadio Friuli ahead of their Serie A game. Getty
    Udinese and Fiorentina players warm-up in an empty Stadio Friuli ahead of their Serie A game. Getty
  • An empty stadium during a Palestinian league football match in the West Bank city of Hebron on Saturday, March 7. AFP
    An empty stadium during a Palestinian league football match in the West Bank city of Hebron on Saturday, March 7. AFP
  • The Saudi Professional League match between Al Hilal and Al Ettifaq at King Saud University Stadium in Riyadh on Saturday, March 7. EPA
    The Saudi Professional League match between Al Hilal and Al Ettifaq at King Saud University Stadium in Riyadh on Saturday, March 7. EPA
  • Empty stands at the Al Hilal and Al Ettifaq match on Saturday, March 7. EPA
    Empty stands at the Al Hilal and Al Ettifaq match on Saturday, March 7. EPA
  • Competitors in the men's biathlon relay in the IBU World Cup in Nove Mesto, Czech Republic, on Saturday, March 7. AFP
    Competitors in the men's biathlon relay in the IBU World Cup in Nove Mesto, Czech Republic, on Saturday, March 7. AFP
  • Competitors at the start of the women's 30km cross-country skiing race at the FIS World Cup Nordic on Saturday, March 7 in Holmenkollen, Norway. AFP
    Competitors at the start of the women's 30km cross-country skiing race at the FIS World Cup Nordic on Saturday, March 7 in Holmenkollen, Norway. AFP
  • Thierry Langer, left, of Belgium and the American Leif Nordgren during the men's biathlon relay in the IBU World Cup in Nove Mesto, Czech Republic, on Saturday, March 7. EPA
    Thierry Langer, left, of Belgium and the American Leif Nordgren during the men's biathlon relay in the IBU World Cup in Nove Mesto, Czech Republic, on Saturday, March 7. EPA
  • No spectators are present to see Sumo wrestlers hold a Dohyo ring entering ceremony at the Spring Grand Sumo Tournament in Osaka, Japan, on Sunday March 8. Reuters
    No spectators are present to see Sumo wrestlers hold a Dohyo ring entering ceremony at the Spring Grand Sumo Tournament in Osaka, Japan, on Sunday March 8. Reuters

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Rugby Football Union chief executive Bill Sweeney said there was "no medical rationale" as things stood to postpone sporting fixtures within the UK, or to play them behind closed doors.

"The basic message coming out of today is let's not panic, let's monitor the situation and carry on as normal," he said.

"It was a very good meeting. The start of dialogue together. There was no medical rationale for cancelling events or behind closed doors yet, but clearly it is a moving situation so we'll keep talking and go from there."

Steve Elworthy, the director of special projects at the England and Wales Cricket Board also attended the meeting, and said as he left: "It was a fantastic meeting and this is the start of it.

"We are starting to think about contingency planning and it was a great meeting with all the sports around. We obviously can't get into any of [the detail] and don't want to because it is still business as usual in our world."