Saracens shut training ground and forfeit Challenge Cup clash with Pau amid Covid outbreak

Saracens have shut their training ground and forfeited this weekend’s European Rugby Challenge Cup match with Pau after a Covid-19 outbreak at the club.

Testing took place at Saracens on Monday and the club say they have “several positive Covid cases” from the PCR results.

Saracens have duly taken the decision to close the training ground and isolate all players, coaches and support staff.

They have been forced to forfeit the Pau match, suffering a 28-0 loss, that makes it hard for them to qualify for the knockout stages after they lost their opening Pool C game to Edinburgh last weekend.

“We have been working closely with EPCR [European Professional Club Rugby] and PRL [Premiership Rugby Limited] and it is with regret that our game versus Section Paloise in the EPCR Challenge Cup on Saturday, 18 December has had to be forfeited by Saracens due to our inability to field a 23-man squad for this fixture,” read a club statement.

Saracens will return to full training on December 24 and hope to play Worcester Warriors in the Gallagher Premiership on Boxing Day.