Rugby-French federation suspends all competitions due to coronavirus

France's rugby federation said on Friday that it was suspending all its competitions due to the coronavirus outbreak, as the global sports industry reels from the impact of the virus which has canceled major tournaments across the world.

France's Six Nations clash against Ireland that was initially scheduled to take place in Paris this weekend was postponed earlier this week after the country banned gatherings of more than 1,000 people. "All championships, of all categories without exception, are suspended, as well as all activities of the Rugby Schools in order to effectively combat the spread of COVID-19," French Rugby President Bernard Laporte said in a statement https://www.ffr.fr/actualites/federation/la-ffr-suspend-lensemble-de-ses-competitions.

"We ask our entire network to scrupulously respect these instructions." France's top-flight football leagues Ligue 1 and Ligue 2 were also suspended until further notice on Friday

The Irish Rugby Football Union had on Thursday suspended all domestic rugby activity until March 29.