Northampton Saints’ Champions Cup hopes over after Racing 92 match cancelled due to Covid-19 outbreak | Rugby Union News

The cancellation ends winless Northampton’s hopes of making the Champions Cup round of 16 and all but secures Racing finishing top of Group A; the Saints could still qualify for the knockout stages of the European Challenge Cup

Northampton’s hopes of reaching the Champions Cup knockout stages are over

Northampton’s Heineken Champions Cup tie at Racing 92 on Sunday has been cancelled because of several positive Covid-19 tests in the Saints’ camp.

Tournament organisers European Professional Club Rugby (EPCR) said Racing 92 had been awarded the match by a 28-0 scoreline with five match points.

“EPCR has been informed by Northampton Saints that they have recorded a number of positive test results for Covid-19 among their tournament squad and, as a consequence, the club is not in a position to fulfil its Heineken Champions Cup, Round 4 match against Racing 92 scheduled for tomorrow (Sunday, January 23),” read a statement.

“The Pool A fixture at Paris La Defense Arena is therefore regrettably cancelled with Racing 92 awarded the match on a 28-0, five match points basis, in accordance with the tournament rules.

“EPCR would like to acknowledge the efforts of both clubs to fulfil the fixture, and would also like to reiterate that awarding the match to Racing 92 is a tournament management measure with the objective of ensuring that all fixtures in the 2021-22 Heineken Champions Cup are accounted for, and not a sanction.”

The cancellation ends winless Northampton’s hopes of making the Champions Cup round of 16 and all but secures Racing finishing top of Group A.

The Saints could still qualify for the knockout stages of the European Challenge Cup, with clubs finishing between eighth and 11th dropping into the second-tier competition.

On Friday, the Champions Cup ties between Leicester and Bordeaux-Begles and Toulouse and Cardiff were cancelled because of coronavirus, as was Newcastle’s Challenge Cup clash with Toulon.

Toulouse said after the cancellation that they had enough players to fulfil the fixture, adding they would take legal action against EPCR over the decision to announce it as a forfeit and give Cardiff the win.