WRU take decision to postpone Scotland clash due to coronavirus
WALES’ Six Nations match against Scotland was called off yesterday afternoon after overwhelming pressure.
The WRU took the decision to postpone the fixture which was due to take place at the Principality Stadium today after the number of coronavirus cases in Wales rose to 38.
It was decided on Thursday that the game would go ahead but in less than 24 hours the goalposts had dramatically changed with sporting events domestically and across the globe falling by the wayside.
The WRU confirmed the U-turn was based on the changing environment in the past 24 with a number of other sporting events having been cancelled.
A WRU statement read: “Wales’ Guinness Six Nations clash with Scotland at Principality Stadium in Cardiff has been postponed.
“The Welsh Rugby Union has maintained an open dialogue with, and continued to seek advice and direction from, the National Assembly
for Wales and other stakeholders, including the Six Nations, on this fast-moving issue.
“Whilst medical advice remains consistent, we have decided that it is in the best interests of supporters, players and staff to fall in line with recent measures taken across the UK and global sports industries.
“The WRU would like to thank all parties for their counsel on the subject and will make further announcements with respect to rescheduling the fixture in the coming days.
“Every effort has been made to stage this game and we appreciate that individuals will have been inconvenienced. Given the fluid and unprecedented nature of this issue a postponement became the only viable option.”
Wales U-20s match versus Scotland was due to go ahead behind closed doors last night at Colwyn
Bay’s Parc Eirias. Yesterday morning the WRU defended its position to play the match, basing it on government guidelines at the time.
But by the afternoon, incredible mounting pressure forced their hand.
The Premier League and English Football League earlier confirmed plans to suspend the football season until April 3, amid concerns over the ongoing COVID-19 outbreak.
Since then, the FAW suspended all adult and youth football in Wales.
Further afield this weekend’s Australian Formula One Grand Prix was cancelled.
Until now the WRU had strictly decided to follow government guidelines.
Just hours before cancelling the match a union spokesman said: “WRU representatives have been in dialogue with Welsh Assembly Government minister for Health and Social Services Vaughan Gething, who provided much needed clarity on the Cobra meeting held yesterday. “Throughout, the WRU Board have followed the scientific advice of government, Public Health Wales and medical experts and determined that any game would be held or postponed based on that advice.
“Enhanced facilities for hand washing and sanitisation will be available at the stadium and there are measures in place to manage any issues with attendees on the day.
“In addition supporters are urged to follow the advice that is widely available on government websites in relation to the virus.”
Minister for Health Vaughan Gething told a press conference on Thursday afternoon that the game will go ahead.
And Prime Minister Boris Johnson then laid out the UK Government policy, saying they were considering banning major sporting fixtures, but that it was not happening immediately.
“There is little medical reason at the moment to ban such events,” he said.
“The scientific advice is it has little effect on the spread, but it does place a burden on other public services.
“So we will be keeping that under review. We are keeping it up our sleeve, but it’s important to get the timing right.”
The UK Government’s chief scientific adviser Sir Patrick Vallance then explained the thinking in more detail. He said cancelling large sports events was “not a major way to tackle this epidemic”.
“On average, one person infects two or three others,” he said.
“You therefore have a very low probability of infecting a large number of people in a stadium and a rather higher probability of infecting people very close to you.
“And that means that most of the transmission actually tends to take place with friends and colleagues and those in close environments – and not in the big environments.” Game’s off... so when might it be re-scheduled and what about your tickets?
There are all kinds of loose ends that need tidying up after the postponement of the Wales v Scotland Six Nations game because of the coronavirus crisis.
Supporters are left holding tickets with no match to go to this weekend.
Will they be entitled to refunds? What happens if they can’t or don’t want to attend on the rearranged date, if indeed the virus emergency does allow the match to be rescheduled?
We set about finding answers to those questions and more…
Question: Will the Wales v Scotland match be rescheduled and, if so, when is it likely to take place? Answer:
Everything depends on how coronavirus situation pans out in the coming months.
Assuming the position eases – and that’s a fairly big assumption to make – the match will be rescheduled.
The likeliest date for a rearranged game is October 31.
Six Nations organisers are said to be considering Halloween as the logical choice for postponed matches as it falls between a European weekend and the start of the November Tests. Nothing is finalised, but it’s been mooted that the date could see Wales facing Scotland, France taking on Ireland in Paris and Italy hosting England in Rome.
That probably wouldn’t be that for the 2020 Six Nations, with Ireland and Italy needing to find a date for their game in Dublin. Possibly, it could take place on November 28, when neither of the pair have scheduled matches.
But there are a lot of ifs and buts in there.
Logistically, it would be a major challenge for all concerned.
Ultimately, the key is defeating the virus before definitive plans can be set in place.
Q: Is there a precedent for a Five or Six Nations campaign not being completed? A:
There is, and it’s a famous one. It happened in 1972 and it was caused by the deteriorating security situation in Northern Ireland, with the IRA warning that the safety of visiting British teams and sportsmen could not be guaranteed. The Scottish Rugby Union and the Welsh Rugby Union opted not to fulfil the fixtures in Ireland but England travelled.
After his side’s defeat in Dublin, England skipper John Pullin said at the evening banquet: “We might not be very good, but at least we turn up.”
The tournament was never completed.
It was a shame for Wales who could have won a Grand Slam after winning their other three games, though Ireland were also in contention for a full house after two straight wins.
In 2001, three Six Nations matches were postponed because of the foot-and-mouth crisis.
When that year’s edition of the championship was resumed in the autumn, Ireland denied England a Grand Slam with a win in Dublin.
Q: What would happen to the 2020 Six Nations prize money if the remaining matches aren’t completed? A:
That’s very much up the air. Teams haven’t played the same number of matches so it would be difficult to dish out money according to their current standings. Six Nations organisers will doubtless offer clarity on this one in the coming weeks.
Q: Will tickets purchased for the postponed game between Wales and Scotland be valid if the match is rearranged? A:
Yes, they will, with the Welsh Rugby Union telling WalesOnline: “All tickets for the postponed Guinness Six Nations clash between Wales and Scotland this weekend will remain valid for the rescheduled fixture and so we strongly encourage all supporters to keep them in a safe place.
“In the unlikely event that the fixture is not rescheduled all tickets will, of course, be refunded.”
Q: What if certain people who have bought tickets can’t or don’t want to attend the rearranged game? Will they be entitled to refunds? A:
The WRU say: “Where the game is rescheduled but individuals still wish to seek reimbursement for any reason, full details of the process and method of this reimbursement will be clearly established at the time of the announcement of the new fixture.
“We fully appreciate that many supporters have been inconvenienced and made every effort to stage the game but ultimately postponement became the only viable option.
“We will make further announcements about rescheduling as soon as possible.”
Q: How would playing the game in the autumn affect Wales’ Six Nations campaign? A:
Wales’ race is already run as far as winning the 2020 Six Nations title goes. Consecutive defeats to Ireland, France and England put paid to hopes on that front.
But they will want to be beat Scotland to finish as high as possible in the table.
The top three places are likely to prove beyond them and the outcome of the duel with the Scots is likely to determine who finishes fourth and fifth. There’s a £500,000 difference in prize money there, while Wayne Pivac will also be anxious for Wales not to finish with only Italy below them. That wouldn’t be a great way to mark his first championship campaign as Wales coach.
Q: Would it be asking a lot for Wales to play five autumn matches, with global ranking points at stake and the World Cup draw scheduled to take place after the November Test window? A:
It would be tough, very tough, particularly with the extra jeopardy brought on by the closeness of the World Cup draw. Wales need all the ranking points they can get to avoid slipping out of the top eight in the global ratings and ending up in an RWC pool of death, as headline writers might be tempted to style a group that contains three heavyweights.
Physically, such a schedule would be demanding, too.
Before then, Wales face an away Test against Japan and two against the All Blacks in New Zealand.
It’s makes for a brutal and important five or so months.
Q: And what about poor WillGriff John?
A:
Poor chap, indeed.
The Sale Sharks player had been set for his Wales debut after waiting patiently during this campaign.
He admitted during player interviews in the build-up to this weekend that he’d be devastated if the match was called off.
But called off it has been, as you may have noticed.
Now he’ll just have to hope an opportunity comes along again. Roger Bidgood will empathise. Trek back to 1987 and the popular centre, a firefighter based at Whitchurch, had been drafted in for a debut cap after John Devereux pulled out of a Five Nations clash with Ireland because of injury.
But snow and ice forced a postponement, and Devereux had returned to fitness for the next game.
Bidgood fell back down the pecking order.
But five long years and a number of near misses later, he was named in the side to face Scotland.
This time the match did go ahead. And the day couldn’t have gone much better for Bidgood.
“It was special to finally get my cap after all those years of trying and waiting,” he later told WalesOnline.
“I never swapped any of my Wales jerseys because they meant so much to me. My debut was in Cardiff alongside Scott Gibbs and Neil Jenkins in midfield.
“We won the game and Gibbsy disappeared afterwards.
I didn’t know but he had gone next door to the Scotland dressing room and swapped his jersey with Scott Hastings.
“Gibbsy reappeared and gave me Scott’s jersey, which I couldn’t believe. Jenks had the match-ball and gave me that too, which was another lovely gesture.”
There are more Tests played today and John had forced his way to the front of the queue for the date that’s been cancelled this weekend.
So he’ll hope another opportunity will come along.
But today it’s hard not to feel sorry for the big man.
With luck, his time will still come.