France have been awarded a 28-0 win over Fiji in the Autumn Nations Cup after their match was cancelled due to five positive coronavirus cases in the Fijian squad.
Six Nations Rugby, the tournament organisers, said in a statement that the scoreline – and the subsequent bonus point awarded to France – was in line with competition rules.
The statement read: “Following last week’s cancellation of the France v Fiji match, the tournament organisers of the Autumn Nations Cup have confirmed a decision to award a 28-0 victory with bonus point to France.
“Whilst no fault has been apportioned to Fiji Rugby, the competition rules provide that if a team is primarily responsible for a match not taking place, a 28-0 victory will be awarded to the opposition that could have played the match.
“We wish the affected Fiji players well as they continue their recovery and are working closely with the Fiji team, to ensure that they are able to field a competitive team against Italy.”
Fiji’s match against Italy is scheduled to take place in Ancona on Saturday, but is now in doubt.