Gloucester's European hopes dashed as second successive match is cancelled

Premiership Rugby have confirmed that this Saturday's Gallagher Premiership round 22 match between Gloucester and Worcester Warriors has been called off, a decision that look to have ended the chances of the Kingsholm club's qualifying for next season's Heineken Champions Cup as a top-eight finishing side.

Gloucester are currently eleventh on the table, three points behind eighth-place Bath, and the two points they are likely to receive from this latest cancellation won't be enough for them to break into the qualification picture.

A Premiership Rugby statement read: "Last week Gloucester returned a number of positive Covid-19 tests and had a large number of their squad isolating which led to the cancellation of their scheduled match at home to Bath.

"Yesterday [Monday] there was an additional positive result in their Covid-19 testing, which led to several new players going into isolation this week and the club writing to Premiership Rugby to confirm they are unable to field a matchday 23 for this weekend.

"Under the Premiership Rugby regulations, the match between Gloucester and Worcester will be cancelled. A Premiership Rugby panel will now be convened to determine the allocation of points and a further announcement will be made in due course."

A Premiership Rugby spokesperson added: "We are in consultation with Public Health England over this outbreak and while no one wants to call off any match, especially the last game of the season our priority is the health and safety of everyone involved with Gloucester and Worcester.

“We will stay in constant contact with both clubs, offer any support necessary and we wish everyone affected at Gloucester a full and speedy 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."