Exiles’ Covid outbreak forces second
boxing Day abandonmentOfficials optimistic three other holiday fixtures will be safe The Premiership’s festive fixture list is in tatters after
London Irish’s match at Bath was cancelled due to a Covid-19 outbreak among the Exiles, becoming the second Boxing Day fixture to be called off due to the virus.
Irish learned of a small number of positive cases within their squad on Tuesday and after further players reported symptoms, the decision was taken by Premiership Rugby to call the match off following discussions with Public Health
England. The cancellation comes just 24 hours after Leicester’s match at Newcastle was called off and while league officials had hoped that would be the only match affected, the Guardian had been told by multiple sources further disruption was expected.