Suspension looms for UK premiership

The English Rugby Premiership is set to suspend play for a month in the wake of the coronavirus epidemic, according to a British news report.

Super Rugby – the southern hemisphere’s flagship competition – and the PRO14 competition featuring Irish, Welsh, Scottish, Italian and South African clubs have already been postponed, and the British Premiership is now set to shut down for at least four weeks.

Sources told The Daily Telegraph newspaper that the English Premiership was now set to be shut down for at least four weeks with an earlier option of playing matches behind closed doors now ‘‘highly unlikely’’.

The situation would be reviewed with a possible return to premiership play on April 11-12, after the scheduled European Champions League and

Champions Cup quarterfinals on April 4-5, the report said.

‘‘Premiership rugby are working closely with their own medical experts, DCMS & Public Health England and all clubs,’’ a Premiership Rugby Ltd (PRL) spokesman told The Daily Telegraph.

‘‘Sunday’s Premiership Rugby Cup final [between Sale Sharks and Harlequins] has been postponed, so it’s sensible to wait for latest advice so we can make an informed decision for the rest of the season, in the coming days.’’

Until now, England’s Rugby Football Union has advised clubs to carry on as normal.

‘‘Current government advice is that amateur and professional sporting events should go ahead unless there are significant mitigating circumstances,’’ a RFU statement said.