Six Nations rugby: France v Ireland match postponed because of coronavirus

Paris: The Six Nations rugby match between France and Ireland was postponed on Monday in a move aimed at preventing the coronavirus from further spreading.

French sports minister Roxana Maracineanu said the decision was taken after discussions with tournament organisers and the French rugby federation.

The match was due to take place on Saturday at the Stade de France. A new date for the game has yet to be announced.

Earlier, Paris police said the Champions League match between Paris Saint-Germain and Borussia Dortmund will be played without fans. Maracineanu said it was not possible to postpone the soccer match because of the ``crowded” calendar.

France has banned gatherings of more than 1,000 people. The country reported 1,126 cases of the virus as of Sunday, up 19% from the day before and the second largest number of cases in Europe after Italy. So far, 19 people in France have died. Protests, exams and public transport could be exempt from the ban on large gatherings.