Grand National falls at mass gathering hurdle
The EPCR have insisted they will do everything they can to complete the European rugby season after postponing Ulster’s Champions Cup quarter-final against Toulouse.
In their statement, EPCR said that they “remain committed to trying to find a solution which will enable it to complete the 2019-20 Heineken Champions Cup and Challenge Cup tournaments at such a time as that aligns with preventative measures undertaken by an overwhelming majority of sport’s governing bodies and tournament organisers in Europe.”
Yesterday also saw the Gallagher Premiership announce the suspension of all games for the next five weeks after the RFU suspended all rugby in England.
Elsewhere, British racing’s marquee race, the Grand National at Aintree, was called off after serious discussions between the all the relevant stakeholders.
Renowned as the world’s greatest steeplechase and the biggest gambling event on the racing calendar, this year’s race
— the culmination of three days of action on Merseyside — had been due to see Tiger Roll bid to join Red Rum as the only threetime winner.
A statement from JCR read: “Following the government’s new public health guidance regarding avoiding social contact and stopping non-essential travel, and its statement that emergency services are withdrawn from supporting mass gatherings from tomorrow, the Jockey Club have decided that it is no longer appropriate to stage the event.
“Jockey Club Racecourses, which runs Aintree and several of the UK’s leading racecourses, had been assessing the feasibility of running the world’s most famous steeplechase behind closed doors with minimal staff on site, but the latest government information on the measures needed to contain the virus have led us to believe this is no longer a viable consideration.”
Senior Jockey Club steward Sandy Dudgeon said: “The Randox Health Grand National Festival was just three weeks away, and it’s very clear to us it will not be possible for the event to take place. Public health must come first.”
It was also announced yesterday that in motorcycle racing, the 60th Anniversary Around A Pound Tandragee 100 road race, which was scheduled for May 1-2, has been postponed.
In air: Davy Russell celebrates last year’s National success