ULSTER WERE DUE to to begin their European Champions Cup campaign at 2pm this afternoon in France.
However, their game against Oyonnax will now have to be rescheduled after European Professional Club Rugby announced that all of its games in France this weekend have been postponed.
The decision comes on the back of last night’s terror attacks in Paris, in which over 120 people are reported to have been killed.
A statement from EPCR said: “Due to the tragic events last night in Paris and the current period of national mourning in France, EPCR and the Ligue Nationale de Rugby (LNR) have decided to postpone this weekend’s European Rugby Champions Cup and Challenge Cup matches scheduled to be played in France.
“Therefore, today’s games in the Champions Cup between Oyonnax and Ulster Rugby, and Racing 92 and Glasgow Warriors, as well as this evening’s Challenge Cup fixture between Pau and Castres Olympique have been postponed. Tomorrow’s Champions Cup matches between Bordeaux-Bègles and ASM Clermont Auvergne, and RC Toulon and Bath Rugby have also been postponed. The matches will be rescheduled for later dates.
“EPCR extends its sincerest sympathies to everyone affected by the Paris attacks and as a mark of respect, all clubs competing in this weekend’s remaining Champions Cup and Challenge Cup fixtures in other territories have been asked to observe a minute’s silence before the games kick-off.”
Update: 15:50
EPCR chairman Simon Halliday said:
“It simply would not have been appropriate in the tragic circumstances to have staged the five French-based European games this weekend. We trust that the clubs and their fans who travelled to France will understand why we took this decision in conjunction with the LNR.
“We salute Toulouse in the Champions Cup, and both La Rochelle and Agen in the Challenge Cup, who are competing in England today. When France is in a period of national mourning, we are acutely aware that this is a particularly difficult time for everyone associated with the country, and we thank Toulouse, La Rochelle and Agen for their great sportsmanship.”
