Saracens blockbuster exhibition match with Sharks cancelled

The exhibition match between Premiership giants Saracens and South Africa's Cell C Sharks scheduled in January has been cancelled.

The clash was hyped as a club clash of some of England and South Africa's best, with many of Saracens English internationals like Maro Itoje, Owen Farrell and Vunipola brothers going up against Springboks Siya Kolisi, Makazole Mapimpi and Luhkanyo Am.

The anticipated clash was to take place in late January in London has been cancelled due to the emergence of the new Omnicron variant of Covid-19.

Saracens put out a club statement that read: "It is with regret that we can confirm that the match between Saracens and Cell C Sharks on 15th January 2022 has been cancelled.

"With recent developments regarding the new variant of COVID-19, the uncertainty around international travel that lies ahead and the timeframes in which we are operating in, both teams have made the decision in the best interest of safety for all concerned.

"Saracens and the Cell C Sharks share a commitment to grow the game and make a significant contribution to their respective communities, so will continue to communicate, share knowledge and look for opportunities to reschedule the game and work together in the future."