The Fiji Airways Men’s 7s side will have to wait for about six months before they play again in a World Series tournament.

This is after World Rugby announced this morning that the London and Paris 7s tournaments will be postponed, provisionally until September in response to the global COVID-19 pandemic.

After detailed and constructive dialogue with the respective host and participating unions, World Rugby has also postponed the Sevens Challenger Series event until later in the year and some Rugby World Cup 2021 and 2023 regional qualifying events have been postponed

But the World Rugby U20 Championship 2020, scheduled to be hosted in northern Italy in late June and July, has been canceled.

The Olympic Games Repechage qualification tournament scheduled for June is under review and World Rugby continues to be in close consultation with the International Olympic Committee (IOC) regarding the implications for the qualification process in the event that the Repechage is unable to be hosted due to the COVID-19 outbreak.

World Rugby Chairman Sir Bill Beaumont says they stand in solidarity with the global rugby family and people around the world at this exceptional and difficult time.

He adds they will ensure they continue to do everything in their power to protect the wellbeing of the global rugby family and the wider public.

The World Rugby Hall of Fame, located in Rugby, UK, will be closed until the end of May in line with public health authority directives.

Beaumont also says they are in close dialogue with the IOC relating to the conclusion of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games rugby sevens qualification, specifically options to replace the final Repechage tournament, should that be required. They have two women’s and one men’s teams left to qualify and are currently considering all options to ensure a fair and credible conclusion to the qualification process.

Source: World Rugby