Saints' clash with London Irish is cancelled

Saints were due to visit the Brentford Community Stadium for the first time on Sunday

Saints' game at London Irish, scheduled to take place at the Brentford Community Stadium on Sunday, has been cancelled, it was announced on Wednesday evening.

London Irish returned a number of positive tests in the latest round of PCR testing, and have players unavailable for the match due to the contact tracing protocols.

Therefore, in consultation with Public Health England, the match has been called off and the London Irish training ground has been closed.

It means Saints are likely to be awarded four points, with Irish taking two.

The announcement comes after Premiership Rugby confirmed there had been 33 positive Covid-19 tests - 24 of which were from players - across 10 clubs.

Worcester Warriors' game against Harlequins was also called off earlier on Wednesday.

Following the announcement that Saints would not be facing London Irish, a Premiership Rugby spokesperson said: "Our priority is the health and safety of those who have tested positive, and we will be giving London Irish all the support they need.

“We wish those who have tested positive a speedy and safe recovery.

"Neither Premiership Rugby nor the club will be naming any of the players or staff involved, and we’d ask everyone to respect their privacy.”