Chiefs handed cup victory as Bath suffer
Exeter have been awarded a 28-0 Premiership Rugby Cup third-round win after opponents Bath were unable to field a team due to Coronavirus and injuries.
The sides were scheduled to meet at the Recreation Ground on Wednesday, December 29, but with the Somerset club’s squad depleted, they did not have enough front-row forwards to start the game.
A Premiership Rugby spokesperson said on Monday afternoon: “As the tournament organiser, Premiership Rugby has to rule on all match cancellations. We must determine if the match cancellation is as a result of COVID-19 or due to other factors.
“This match was cancelled due to the combination of positive cases, injuries and unavailabilities leaving Bath Rugby unable to fulfil its fixture obligations under the Premiership Rugby Cup regulations because the club had insufficient front-row forwards.
“Therefore the match is awarded to Exeter Chiefs 28-0, with the Chiefs receiving five match points.”
The game was called off last Monday, at which point Bath were hopeful of being able to field a team for their Gallagher Premiership trip to London Irish on January 3.
The club said at the time: “We have worked hard to find a solution, including sourcing additional players; however, a combination of Covid-related player absences and existing injuries means an insufficient number of front-row forwards are available to fulfil a matchday 23.
“Furthermore, there is not enough time to add any further players to our squad who we can be confident are Covid-free, and with a Gallagher Premiership fixture scheduled within the next seven days, the safety of our wider squad and staff must be paramount.”
The London Irish fixture was also subsequently postponed following further positive COVID-19 tests within the Bath camp, leaving them unable to safely fulfil the fixture at the Brentford Community Stadium. Premiership Rugby had confirmed their Round 12 match against London Irish that was scheduled for Monday had been called off.
A Premiership Rugby spokesperson said: “Our priority is the health and safety of everyone involved with Bath Rugby and London Irish so the decision has been made to cancel the match. We will give the clubs any support they need, and wish everyone affected a full and speedy recovery.
“Neither Premiership Rugby nor the club will be naming any of the players or staff involved and we’d ask everyone to respect their privacy.”
Under the Premiership Rugby regulations, the match between London Irish and Bath Rugby will be cancelled. A Premiership Rugby panel will now be convened to determine the allocation of points and a further announcement will be made in due course.
In the round of Covid testing across the Gallagher Premiership between December 24-30, that saw 4,446 lateral flow and PCR tests taken by players, coaches and staff, 55 people tested positive from 11 of the league’s 13 clubs.