Connacht and Munster's upcoming Guinness PRO14 games in Italy have been postponed due to the coronavirus outbreak.
Munster had been due to play Bennetton in Treviso on March 21st while Connacht were set to play Zebre in Parma on March 28th.
PRO14 organisers say they've made the decision in the interest of the safety of players, staff and fans:
"The Italian government has now extended restrictions on sporting events until April 3 and the latest travel alerts from the Irish government's Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade advise against non-essential travel to certain regions of Italy, including Veneto and Emilia-Romagna," the league announced in a statement.
🚨 R14 & R15 Games in Italy Postponed
R14: @BenettonRugby v @Munsterrugby
R15: @ZebreRugby v @connachtrugbyAlternative arrangements for new dates are being reviewed
Full details: https://t.co/b80DyMcViH
— PRO14 RUGBY (@PRO14Official) March 5, 2020
"Consequently, PRO14 Rugby has taken this action in order to protect the well-being of our participating clubs' players, other staff and supporters, and provide some degree of certainty in an evolving situation. This decision is fully supported by the board of Celtic Rugby DAC."
Italy's Guinness Six Nations match against England has also been postponed due to the coronavirus outbreak.
The game at Rome's Stadio Olimpico on Saturday week had been scheduled to be played behind closed doors.
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