European Cup organisers vow postponed matches to go ahead

PARIS: European Cup organisers moved yesterday to appease fears over the re-scheduling of pool games postponed in the wake of the Paris terror attacks after some club owners voiced doubts that the matches could be squeezed into an already-congested fixture list.

The Toulon-Bath match was one of those postponed last weekend, and the English club’s chairman, Bruce Craig, suggested that the match might never be played, ruling out a Wednesday fixture.

His counterpart at reigning three-time champions Toulon, Mourad Boudjellal, also struggled to find an obvious window.

The most opportune time could be during the Six Nations, but both teams would be stripped of a raft of players on international duty for what could be a crucial match in a pool that also includes three-time winners Leinster and Wasps, who upset the form book by beating the Irish province on Saturday.

The European Professional Club Rugby (ECPR) said it was “continuing to work with the Ligue Nationale de Rugby (LNR), Premiership Rugby and the PRO12, as well as the relevant clubs, to consider all possible fixture permutations with the aim of coming up with a workable solution as to how the Stade Francais Paris v Munster Rugby match, in addition to the five games from Round 1 of the tournaments, can be rescheduled in an already crowded rugby calendar.

“EPCR, the three leagues and the clubs are in agreement that all postponed fixtures - including the RC Toulon v Bath Rugby Round 1 match - will be played, and an announcement regarding the new dates will be made as soon as possible.”

Bath first-team coach Toby Booth said he was desperate for the match against Toulon to go ahead. “We want to do whatever we can to get this fixture played,” Booth told the BBC. “We are desperate to play it and we are looking forward to pitching ourselves against the best in Europe.

“It is very tough as we know to rejig things in such a congested schedule, but I am sure we will come to some sort of conclusion.” Stade Francais decided Tuesday to postpone their pool match against Munster

on Sunday so as not to add to the workload of officials in Paris in the wake of the coordinated terror attacks last Friday that left at least 129 dead. That postponement followed those of Toulon-Bath and also Oyonnax-Ulster, Racing 92Glasgow and Bordeaux-Clermont. — AFP