RUGBY EUROPE HAS announced the suspension of all games under its remit until the end of November due to “the resurgence of the Covid-19 pandemic across Europe”.
The suspensions include the Women’s Rugby Europe Championship, the winner of which was in line to play against Ireland in a World Cup Qualifying competition in December.
Ireland Women have not yet qualified for the 2021 World Cup in New Zealand but hope to secure their spot by winning the European Qualifier competition, currently scheduled for December.
Scotland and Italy will join Ireland in that Qualifier, while the winner of the Rugby Europe Championship was due to be the fourth team.
However, with the two remaining 2020 Rugby Europe Championship games – both involving favourites Spain – now suspended, it’s unclear if the World Cup Qualifier will go ahead as planned in December.
Spain were due to play Russia this Saturday, 24 October, and then face the Netherlands on 31 October in the remaining Rugby Europe Championship fixtures.
Given that they are the highest-ranked of the three nations, Spain had been favourites to win the Rugby Europe Championship and advance into the Qualifier to take on Ireland, Italy, and Scotland.
Rugby Europe says it is in discussions with World Rugby regarding the Qualifier and that an announcement will be made in due course.
The pool draw for the 2021 World Cup is also due to take place in New Zealand this December.
Ireland have more immediate targets in mind anyway, with their rescheduled Six Nations clash with Italy taking place this Saturday evening behind closed doors at Energia Park.
Adam Griggs’ side will then travel to Lille to take on France in their final 2020 Six Nations fixture on Sunday 1 November.
They will hope for clarity on the European Qualifier thereafter, with match weekends in that round-robin competition pencilled in for 5, 12, and 19 December.
Meanwhile, Rugby Europe’s announcement means the last round of the men’s Rugby Europe Championship [REC] has also been suspended, ensuring Georgia will miss out on their clash with Russia as they begin preparations for competing in the new Autumn Nations Cup next month.
With the Romania v Belgium and Spain v Portugal ties suspended, the Netherlands’ chance to be promoted into the REC has also been postponed. The Netherlands are waiting to face the bottom-ranked team in the REC for a chance at moving up a tier.
The opening games of the 2020/2021 Rugby Europe Trophy – the third tier of European competition underneath the Six Nations and REC – Lithuania v Ukraine and Ukraine v Poland, have also been suspended.
“Despite the creation of the Return to Play Protocol, we have to suspend our competitions to preserve the health of our players and our officials who are mostly ‘amateurs’,” said Octavian Morariu, the president of Rugby Europe.
“We cannot expose them to the virus or to quarantine periods that would be problematic for them. We still have to be patient before we can organize our competitions in the best conditions.”
And yet we will continue to allow our GAA games to continue…zero sense
@jay bernard: much more interest in the GAA buddy
What reason cant this not go ahead and the GAA can? Some of these women are probably even professional
@Al Byrne: The women’s game is essentially amateur in Europe other than the English & French extended squads.
Inter county GAA is seen as elite sport so can go ahead same as PRO14, SSE Airtricty League, 6N etc. All are being played behind closed doors.
At least sports fans will have something to watch during lockdown.
@TL55: Just to counter that inter-county GAA Players = elite-sportsman = they’re grabd to carry on… Here’s what Louth’s Bevan Duffy thinks about ploughing ahead:
“I don’t understand, with the case numbers going up, the way things are all around the country, how GAA inter-county footballers are all of a sudden immune to this.
We’ve teachers in that dressing room. We’ve lads living at home, a lot of lads living at home with their elderly parents.It doesn’t really make that much sense.
The protocols need to be better, without a doubt. There hasn’t been any testing at all, which I can’t get my head around.”
That last sentence is pretty shocking. And yet it’s fine for these guys to mix in the community and travel the country because we can’t find another way to entertain ourselves?
@Fergal O’ Reilly: GAA players are a lot closer to elite athletes than that Irish women’s rugby team. There is only about 2 or 3 strong clubs in the country. There is only a handful playing women’s rugby, inter county ladies gaelic is way more competitive and as a result players are a much higher standard as seen by the ease that many of them have transition and gone straight to the top of aussie rules and rugby codes.
Gaelic players may not be professional but that doesn’t mean they are not elite.
With regards to Bevan Duffy, this is down to personal responsibility, the GAA aren’t forcing him to do anything. If your are not glad of the opportunity to play, sit out for a year or however long it takes. There is certainly no gun to his head to play.