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Six Nations: Ireland vs Italy to be postponed amid coronavirus fears


Ireland’s Six Nations clash with Italy will be postponed over fears for the coronavirus.

The match, due to be played in Dublin on Saturday week, would have attracted up to 5,000 fans from Italy.

Ireland’s National Public Health Emergency Team met on Tuesday and ruled that the occasion poses too great a health risk.

A spokesperson for the Rugby Football Union said the Irish decision “does not change the position at the moment” regarding England’s game in Italy on March 14.

Ireland sit joint second with England in the title race, four points behind leaders France with two rounds to play, but minister for health Simon Harris is adamant the plug had to be pulled.

“We’ll be publishing guidelines in relation to mass gatherings shortly,” he said. “But we’ve obviously taken a decision in relation to the Ireland v Italy rugby game.

The game is due to take place at Lansdowne Road

“The very clear view of the Public Health Emergency Team was that the game should not go ahead, that it would constitute a significant risk because a very large number of people would be travelling from what is now an infected region.

“So now my department will be contacting the IRFU in relation to this.

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Six Nations 2020

“I know it will come as a great disappointment to many, but it is important to make decisions about public health above and beyond all other considerations.”

The postponement will not effect the outcome of the championship if France win in Scotland on Sunday week then defeat Ireland in Paris six days later.

But lose either of those games and England and Ireland would potentially be in a position to snatch the title – and that could mean the matter remaining unresolved until a new date is found for Ireland’s Italian job.





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