Edinburgh’s fixtures pile up after Covid call off
EDINBURGH’S PRO14 game against Benetton, due to be played at BT Murrayfield this afternoon, was postponed yesterday after a member of the Italian squad tested positive for Covid- 19. The league will now try to find a new date next month for the fixture.
“The Round 14 Guinness PRO14 fixture between Edinburgh and Benetton Rugby has been postponed,” a statement from the league said. “The game was due to take place on Sunday, March 7 in Edinburgh, however, one person within the Benetton camp has returned a positive test for Covid-19.
“Due to a concern around close contacts and having considered all of the available evidence, the PRO14 Rugby Medical Advisory Group has deemed that this fixture cannot go ahead as scheduled. PRO14 Rugby will look [for] available dates from April 2021 onwards to reschedule the game.”
It is not obvious which weekend could be used to get the game replayed. Both teams’ playing schedule already goes beyond the end of the regular season, which is due to culminate in the final between the two conference winners on March 27. Benetton will visit Glasgow on the same afternoon, while Edinburgh have a game against the Dragons the following day.
The first weekend of April is out because the two Scottish sides have European matches – Edinburgh in the last 16 of the Champions Cup, the Warriors in the same stage of the Challenge Cup. The draw for both competitions will be made on Tuesday.
If Edinburgh win their last16 tie they will have a quarterfinal the following weekend, while they and Glasgow also have their third 1872 Cup game of the season to fit in.
The inaugural Rainbow Cup, is also due to start next month.
ARSENAL captain Kim Little believes there is more to be done for gender equality in football – but does not want to see the Women’s Super League lose “authenticity” by being awash with money.
The Scotland midfielder has been impressed by the progression within the women’s game as it creeps closer towards some sort of parity with men’s football.
Little acknowledges the pay deficit in football is unlike any other walk of life given the money within the men’s game and the wages it can offer as a result. But the 30-year-old is not keen to see such an influx of cash into women’s football which she fears would create a “superficial” environment.
She said: “The game is developing really quickly but there is still that inequality in football generally when compared to the men’s game.
“There are definitely signs of equality but there is a lot more to be done. The gender pay gap in any part of society is something that exists in football.
“That is also because of the popularity, the TV rights, the money coming in. I think within football, because of the amount the male players are paid, it highlights it even more – but you could say the amount they get paid is too much.
“I also think it takes away a little bit from the authenticity of it – it adds all of these superficial things and I don’t necessarily want the women’s game to go to that point.”