Varsity has been cancelled because of coronavirus

SUSU said: ‘The situation is unprecedented’


Sunday’s Varsity against Portsmouth uni has now been cancelled.

The news comes after it was announced this morning that Easter break has been brought forward by a week, to start today, and graduation is being postponed, because of the coronavirus outbreak.

Olivia Reed, Soton’s VP Sports, said in a Facebook post: “Following consultation with the University of Portsmouth, who are now unable to participate, we regret to announce that Varsity 2020 has been cancelled.

“We are all hugely disappointed that this is the case, particularly after our earlier announcement, but the situation is unprecedented.

“We would like to thank all the hard work put into this event by our staff and students. We will be in contact with players and spectators to advise them about refunds.”

The same was said in an online statement from SUSU. It comes after an earlier statement from SUSU this morning had said Varsity was still going ahead as planned.

Many Southampton clubs, including Switch, Jesters and Sobar, are remaining open despite coronavirus fears. They have put extra soap and hand sanitiser dispensers throughout the venues, and are ensuring they are thoroughly cleaned.

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