Coronavirus in sport: what events have been hit by Covid-19?

It’s been around a year since news of coronavirus began to emerge, and in that time the pandemic has changed our lives almost beyond recognition.

While governing bodies did manufacture a method for the return of football and other sport in the summer, the second wave is putting the system under increasing pressure.

This extends to other parts of the world too, and we’re starting to see a number of high-profile sporting events being hit by Covid-19.

We’ll update this article with all the latest developments, including postponements and selection issues caused by coronavirus.

Football

• The Scottish FA chief executive has written to clubs in the Scottish Championship asking whether they want to suspend the season, but a decision set to be made early next week.
• QPR vs Wycombe, originally scheduled for 3pm on Saturday, has been postponed due to positive test results at Wycombe.
• Southampton vs Shrewsbury has been rescheduled for Tuesday, 19th January after being postponed last weekend. The Saints’ Premier League clash with Leeds, previously scheduled for the 20th January, will be moved.
• Aston Villa vs Everton is has been postponed due to an outbreak at the Villains.
• Sheffield Wednesday’s next two fixtures against Coventry and Wycombe have been postponed after an outbreak at the Owls.
• Aston Villa vs Tottenham, scheduled for Wednesday, 13th January, has been postponed due to an outbreak at Aston Villa. The game has been replaced by Tottenham vs Fulham.
• Brentford’s next two Championship fixtures have been postponed after being advised to close their training ground. The fixtures affected are their home game against Bristol City and their trip to Reading.
• 13 Celtic players, plus manager Neil Lennon, are currently self-isolating after coming into close contact with Chris Jullien after he tested positive. There were six changes to the Celtic lineup in their 1-1 draw with Hibs, including key strikers Odsonne Edouard and Leigh Griffiths. It’s unclear how many of these players will return for their hosting of Livingston on Saturday.
• Scottish football below the Championship level has been postponed for at least three weeks.
• The Women’s FA Cup has been postponed, with the second and third rounds originally scheduled for this month.

Cricket

• Ireland’s one-day international against the UAE has been postponed for the third time.
• England’s Moeen Ali will be unavailable for the first Test match against Sri Lanka after testing positive for Covid-19, while Chris Woakes is a doubt despite coming out of isolation.

Golf

• Three tournaments in South Africa, the first scheduled for February, have been postponed by the European Challenge Tour.

Rugby Union

• The Heineken Champions Cup and Challenge Cup have been suspended after the French government told its clubs they should not play in the tournament. All matches scheduled for the weekends of 16th and 23rd January are postponed.
• The 2021 Women’s Six Nations and the Under-20s Six Nations has been postponed until at least spring.

Rugby League

• While unconfirmed, it’s widely expected that the start of the 2021 Super League season will be delayed from its original start date of 11th March. There is also talk or a format change to ensure the season can be completed ahead of the World cup.

Formula 1

• The start of the 2021 Formula 1 season will be delayed after the postponement of the traditional season-opener, the Australian Grand Prix. The Chinese Grand Prix, the third race in the calendar, has also been postponed, with the season set to commence on 26th March in Bahrain.

NBA

• Wizards vs Pistons and Warriors vs Suns have been postponed due to the Wizards and Suns not having the required eight players available to field.