Could coronavirus kill off the Six Nations?

Could the Six Nations rugby tournament be the first high profile victim of the coronavirus? England supporters are expecting to decamp to Rome’s Stadio Olimpico in just over two weeks time for the final round match against Italy.

But the chances of the game going ahead seem to be fading as fast as Italy’s hopes of winning the competition. The country’s rugby federation called off all matches over the weekend, while the Six Nations has released a statement saying the organisation is ‘monitoring this situation very closely and is in regular contact with the [Italian rugby federation] and all other unions and federations as well as the relevant local authorities and health organisations’.

There are now around 50,000 people under quarantine in northern Italy, with a reported seven deaths caused by the virus and over 200 confirmed cases. The idea of thousands of England fans travelling to what is now the worst affected country after China and South Korea seems increasingly remote.