The coronavirus pandemic continued to affect the world of sport on Sunday.
Here, the PA news agency recaps the day’s main developments as they unfolded.
8.40am – Rugby Australia closes its Sydney headquarters for an “intensive clean” after two members of its Australian Sevens program showed signs and symptoms associated with coronavirus.
11.44am – Leeds Rhinos announce they will conduct all media previews by telephone ahead of Friday’s scheduled Super League match against St Helens.
12.13pm – Ezequiel Garay becomes the first LaLiga player to announce that he has tested positive for coronavirus. The Valencia defender revealed the news on his Instagram account, writing: “I’ve tested positive for the coronavirus, I feel great and now all that’s left is to listen to the health authorities. For the moment, I have to be isolated.”
12.56pm – Valencia issue a statement confirming that five positive cases have been detected among members of the first team and club staff, including former Manchester City defender Eliaquim Mangala.
COMUNICADO OFICIAL | ➡️ https://t.co/dlKOWt9pzj#QuédateEnCasa #EsteVirusLoParamosUnidos pic.twitter.com/nScZ2jhyEs — Valencia CF 🦇💯 (@valenciacf) March 15, 2020
14.08pm – The Rugby Football League repeats its threat to punish Leeds Rhinos for calling off their Saturday’s Super League game at Catalans Dragons – despite fears that the club had been struck by coronavirus.
14.37pm – The Vitality Netball Superleague suspends all fixtures with immediate effect.
The Vitality Netball Superleague Board will meet on Tuesday 17th March to consider the position of the 2020 VNSL season. In the interim all VNSL fixtures will be postponed with immediate effect. Full statement: https://t.co/tH8CxHgnl0 pic.twitter.com/ESRW8uGIxu — Vitality Netball Superleague (@NetballSL) March 15, 2020
14.39pm – World cycling’s governing body, the UCI, says all its events will be postponed until at least April 3 – including imminent Olympic qualifiers for BMX and mountain-biking.
15.27pm – The Gallagher Premiership rugby union season is suspended, the PA news agency understands.
18.08pm – The British Horseracing Authority announces racing is set to move “behind closed doors later in the week, initially until the end of March”.
Update from British racing's coronavirus steering group… British horseracing preparing to go behind closed doors this week. Full details: https://t.co/Q3oSgtBHwz pic.twitter.com/AQRNPV5wCx — BHA Press Office (@BHAPressOffice) March 15, 2020
19.58pm – Italian Football Federation president Gabriele Gravina says he will ask UEFA to postpone Euro 2020 to allow time to complete the Serie A season. He told Sportsmediaset: “We will try to get to the end of this championship because it is fairer and more correct after the many investments and sacrifices of our clubs.”
21.20pm – Organisers announce that the remainder of the Boxing Road to Tokyo Olympic qualifying event at the Copper Box Arena in London will take place behind closed doors.
22.01pm – Super League club Toronto Wolfpack stand down their UK-based playing staff after four players present with “mild possible” coronavirus symptoms and are put into self-isolation.
