Next weekend's Scotland vs Fiji Nations Cup match has been cancelled
Scotland will receive a 28-0 bonus point victory after their November 28 Autumn Nations Cup match versus Fiji was cancelled on Friday by tournament organisers. It is the third match involving Fiji in Group B to be cancelled following the confirmation of a virus outbreak in the ranks which affected 29 people earlier this week.
Rather than take a chance in the Murrayfield fixture going ahead, it was decided to make an early call on the match and cancel it. It means that this Sunday’s game between Scotland and France will likely decide who tops the group that also includes Italy.
Organisers, however, are still optimistic that Fiji could take part in the fourth-place play-off on early December against the Group A fourth-place finisher which is likely to be Georgia.
A statement from the tournament officials read: “Organisers of the Autumn Nations Cup today announced the cancellation of the Scotland v Fiji fixture due to take place at BT Murrayfield on November 28.
“The extent of infection in the Fiji camp, combined with a minimum ten-day isolation period, plus the obvious need for suitable preparation for any international Test match meant that, whilst difficult, the decision was unavoidable.
Galthie shakes things up for France's second Murrayfield visit in eight months #AutumnNationsCup #SCOvFRA ?????????https://t.co/DepvcXq9Gm
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) November 20, 2020
“The tournament organisers remain in constant contact with the Fijian squad regarding their wellbeing and recovery which continues to be the number one priority. The Fiji team and the organisers are hopeful that the fourth match on December 5 against the team that will finish in fourth place in Pool A will be able to take place, subject to checks on fitness levels once the players come out of isolation and following all appropriate protocols.”
While the inclusion of Fiji in the Nations Cup left fans excited about their potential, the experience has been utterly frustrating as they also had a warm-up match with Portugal cancelled due to the virus.
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