Hong Kong’s men’s sevens team celebrating their win over Japan at the 2018 Asian Games. Photo: AFP
Source:
https://scmp.com/sport/rugby/article/3065001/tokyo-2020-coronavirus-sees-asia-rugby-sevens-test-event-cancelled Rugby
Tokyo 2020: coronavirus sees rugby sevens test event cancelled
- Japan Rugby Football Union hopes the April tournament can take place at a later date
- Rugby sevens looks to be a fan favourite at the Tokyo Olympics this summer, if the Games do go ahead
Both Hong Kong and Japan could be at the Tokyo Olympics when it comes to rugby sevens, although Japan has already qualified and Hong Kong are a long shot to make it. Photo: Asia Rugby
Yet another tournament can be added to the list of cancelled sporting events, this time one officially associated with the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo – the rugby sevens test event.
In an official statement released on Wednesday, the Tokyo 2020 International Communications team announced that the Japan Rugby Football Union, the country’s governing body for the sport, had let them know they were cancelling the Asia Sevens Invitational 2020 tournament. The event, scheduled to take place on April 25-26 in Tokyo, was cancelled “due to concerns relation to novel coronavirus”, said the release.
So far there have been more than 93,000 confirmed cases of the virus, and more than 3,200 deaths, mostly in China.
The invitational tournament was going to be a test event in preparation for the rugby sevens at the Games, which will feature 12 men’s and women’s teams. Hong Kong’s men’s and women’s team still have a chance to qualify for the Olympics in a last-ditch tournament in June in France.
The sevens at the Olympics will be played over six days, with the men playing from July 27-29 and the women playing July 30-August 1.
“After confirming it is safe to do so, Tokyo 2020 nevertheless will carry out the tests in some form and will consult with the International Olympic Committee,” said the release. “World Rugby and other relevant organisations to determine the content of such tests.”
We have just over 1️⃣ week to go until the @OlympicFlame is finally lit and the journey to Tokyo begins!
Back in February, we held a practice torch relay to ensure that we're prepared for the flames amazing 121-day journey around Japan. #UnitedByEmotion #HopeLightsOurWay pic.twitter.com/0ocYxT2jtQ— #Tokyo2020 (@Tokyo2020) March 3, 2020
The Cathay Pacific/HSBC Hong Kong Sevens, originally scheduled to take place April 3-5, have now been postponed until October, along with the Singapore Sevens, which were scheduled to take place the weekend after.
Earlier on Wednesday, both the International Olympic Committee and the Japanese government reiterated there are no plans to cancel or postpone the Games.
Japan held the Rugby World Cup last summer all over the country, a tournament that was considered a rousing success for the nation.