Postponed Euro matches declared draws

NEWS: Fixtures originally postponed in the European Champions Cup and Challenge Cup last month have been declared draws, the tournament organisers announced on Tuesday.

Seven games including record five-time Champions Cup winners Toulouse’s home game against Wasps in December were put on hold after strict rules came into force for travellers between France and Britain to deal with the increases in cases of the Omicron variant of Covid-19.

“Following a series of meetings of the Board of EPCR, it has been regrettably decided to cancel the postponed fixtures in Round 2 of this season’s Champions Cup and EPCR Challenge Cup,” European Professional Club Rugby (EPCR) said.

“The Board has also authorised the EPCR Executive to determine the outcome of the fixtures as provided for in the rules of the tournaments and the EPCR Executive has decided that the appropriate solution is to record the results in each of the five Champions Cup and the two EPCR Challenge Cup fixtures in question as 0-0 draws with two match points awarded to each club,” it added.

The third round of the Champions Cup takes place this weekend with Alexandre Holroyd, who represents French people living in northern European countries in the parliament in Paris, claiming the measures will change soon.

“Following numerous exchanges with the government, considerable reductions in health rules at borders will be announced soon,” Alexandre Holroyd tweeted earlier in the day.

“More details here in the days to come,” he added.

Ahead of this weekend, Bordeaux-Begles’ head coach Christophe Urios said on Tuesday they have recorded four more Covid-19 cases in their squad before hosting the Scarlets on Sunday.

The Top 14 leaders recorded two positive tests last week.

Another French side Montpellier said they were continuing to prepare as normal to host four-time winners Leinster on Sunday despite registering three cases of the illness.

CHAMPIONS CUP

The results of the following Round 2 fixtures are recorded as 0-0 draws with two match points awarded to each club:

Bath Rugby v Stade Rochelais
Sale Sharks v ASM Clermont Auvergne
Scarlets v Union Bordeaux-Bègles
Stade Toulousain v Wasps
Stade Francais Paris v Bristol Bears

CHALLENGE CUP

The results of the following Round 2 fixtures are recorded as 0-0 draws with two match points awarded to each club:

Worcester Warriors v Biarritz Olympique
London Irish v CA Brive