The coronavirus pandemic continued to affect the world of sport on Friday.
Here, the PA news agency recaps the day’s main developments.
(All times GMT)
3.41am – Australia’s National Rugby League (NRL) cancels the Magic Round, which had been due to take place in Brisbane in May.
5.30am – The NRL announces the cancellation of a host of competitions for 2020, including the Intrust Super Cup and Canterbury Cup NSW.
Club Statement ⬇️ #BackTheBulls pic.twitter.com/QPREomIK7e — JerseyBullsFC (@jersey_bulls) March 27, 2020
8.35am – Non-league Jersey Bulls say they will make their case to the Football Association after being denied promotion to the Combined Counties Premier Division. Jersey won all 27 of their Division One matches and had mathematically guaranteed promotion, which has now been denied after the FA’s decision to cancel the season from step three downwards.
10.34am – The Diamond League postpones three more meetings – in Stockholm, Naples/Rome, and Rabat – all of which had been scheduled to happen in May.
11.00am – Manchester United outline contingency ticketing arrangements in case matches have to be played behind closed doors or cancelled.
Following the news that the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games will be postponed until 2021, the LPGA Tour and the @EvianChamp announced Friday that the 2020 Evian Championship will move to Aug. 6-9. MORE ⬇️ https://t.co/GWJcseyE3I — LPGA (@LPGA) March 27, 2020
1.38pm – The LPGA Tour, Ladies European Tour and tournament officials announce the Evian Championship will move into the week vacated by the postponement of the Tokyo Olympics.
1.57pm – Bath become the latest Gallagher Premiership club to ask players and staff to take a 25 per cent pay cut.
2.21pm – Sunderland announce they have recently placed a number of members of their non-playing staff on furlough as they attempt to protect jobs in the long-term.
4.31pm – Formula One announces the seven UK-based teams have joined forces to work on manufacturing ventilators to assist with treatment.
Introducing Project Pitlane pic.twitter.com/J1bcOf9XSn — Formula 1 (@F1) March 27, 2020
4.37pm – The Football Association of Ireland announces a target date of the week ending June 28 for the resumption of the top-level Women’s National League.
5.02pm – The British Horseracing Authority announces cost-saving measures including wage reductions for all staff but plans to be ready to resume racing from May 1 “if it proves possible to do so”.
7.00pm – The NHS announces the “We’re staying home” campaign, featuring leading sport stars including England footballers Raheem Sterling and Steph Houghton and cricket captains Joe Root and Heather Knight urging the public to stay in their homes.
7.06pm – Wales’ Principality Stadium is made available for use as a field hospital.
Well said @England, thank you 👏👏👏 We'll win this match together! 💙🇮🇹🏴#StayHomeSaveLives https://t.co/39665OzMnW — Italy (@azzurri) March 27, 2020
8.00pm – The Wembley arch is lit in the colours of the Italian flag for 90 minutes, coinciding with when England’s friendly against Italy was due to be played, with the stadium’s exterior screens also displaying a message of solidarity in Italian.
8.18pm – Glamorgan Cricket announces the decision to furlough “a large number of staff” and “operate with a skeleton staff” while closing their Sophia Gardens ground.
8.33pm – The Scottish PFA urges clubs to furlough players and staff using the Government’s Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme rather than applying wage cuts or terminating contracts.
