Dubai, Cape Town 7s now cancelled
Dubai: Next season’s Dubai and Cape Town tournaments at the sevens series events have been cancelled in the wake of the ongoing coronavirus concerns.
World Rugby released a statement on Wednesday evening confirming the cancellation of the two combined legs, set to be played on November 26-28 and December 4-6. A working group has been set up to review the rest of the season. Under the regular schedule, New Zealand’s Hamilton and Australia’s Sydney legs would be the next tournaments but their fates are unclear. World Rugby has set up a working group to review the plans for the rest of the season, pending the spread of the virus around the world and the impact on international travel.
The 2019-20 World Series has already been wrapped up prematurely, with Australia’s women second overall and the Aussie men finishing fourth.
World Rugby CEO Brett Gosper said the decision was one that had to be made given the current situation of the pandemic.
“We share in the disappointment of players, teams, fans, hosts and everyone involved with the popular events in Dubai and Cape Town,” he said.
“This is a prudent decision taken with the health and well-being of the global rugby community and wider society as our top priority and guided by the relevant government and international public health authority advice,” he said. “We look forward to welcoming these wonderful destinations back to the Series following this year’s hiatus.”
Rugby.com.au