Racing 92-Northampton Champions Cup game cancelled due to COVID

The Champions Cup clash between Racing 92 and Northampton Saints in France on Sunday has been cancelled due to a number of positive COVID-19 cases in the English side, European Professional Club Rugby (EPCR) said on Saturday.

Racing 92 were awarded the Pool A tie 28-0 and five match points, in accordance with competition rules.

"EPCR would 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," EPCR said in a statement.

Racing 92 had already secured their qualification for the round of 16 prior to the match.

The latest cancellation comes after champions Toulouse's game against Cardiff was called off nL1N2U11IT due to COVID-19 on Friday.

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

EPCR also said on Friday that Union Bordeaux-Begles would be unable to fulfil the Champions Cup fixture against Leicester Tigers after recording a "number of COVID-19 cases" in their squad.

(Reporting by Aadi Nair in Bengaluru; Editing by Ken Ferris)