The fallout from the coronavirus pandemic continued on Wednesday as Wimbledon was cancelled, Silverstone set a deadline for the British Grand Prix and Leeds Rhinos confirmed they had put staff on furlough.
Here, the PA news agency recaps the day’s biggest developments.
(All times BST)
.@RugbyAU statement regarding RUPA discussions. https://t.co/cRPMah28fI — Rugby Australia (@RugbyAU) April 1, 2020
09.26am – Rugby Australia confirms it is in discussions with the players’ union over three-month wage deferral after standing down 75 per cent of its workforce until June on Tuesday.
09.58am – The inaugural PDC World Series of Darts event in Copenhagen was moved from June because of coronavirus with the Nordic Darts Masters to be staged on October 23-24.
10.01am – The Football Supporters Association, the Premier League, EFL and the FA urge fans to play their part to fight coronavirus.
"We can all play our part" – FSA, EFL, PL and FA urge fans to stay at home, protect the NHS, and save lives: https://t.co/tc6IyConpc #COVID19 — The FSA (@WeAreTheFSA) April 1, 2020
11.52am – Silverstone said it has until the end of April to decide whether or not the British Grand Prix can go ahead in July.
12.01pm – Leeds Rhinos confirm they have furloughed almost all staff and players while also shutting the stadium and training ground.
1.26pm – Dundee United announces they have a placed a large number of employees on furlough to protect the club’s long-term sustainability.
🎯 ANNOUNCEMENT 🎯 The US Darts Masters has been postponed for 12 months, with the PDC's biggest names & eight North American stars now set to compete at Madison Square Garden in New York on June 4-5 2021. ▶️ Full story: https://t.co/A5ce44ASUG pic.twitter.com/SoCS3a8wCz — PDC Darts (@OfficialPDC) April 1, 2020
1.59pm – The Curtis Cup becomes the latest competition to be put back to 2021.
3.05pm – The US Darts Masters was postponed for 12 months.
3.15pm – The Equi-Trek Bramham International Horse Trials, set for Bramham Park near Leeds on June 4-7, were postponed.
3.30pm – Bournemouth manager Eddie Howe became the first Premier League boss to take a voluntary pay cut during the coronavirus pandemic.
It is with great regret that the AELTC has today decided that The Championships 2020 will be cancelled due to public health concerns linked to the coronavirus epidemic. The 134th Championships will instead be staged from 28 June to 11 July 2021.https://t.co/c0QV2ymGAt — Wimbledon (@Wimbledon) April 1, 2020
4pm – Wimbledon, scheduled to run between June 29 and July 12, was cancelled. The ATP and WTA Tours also confirmed an extension to the suspension of the current season until July 13.
5.01pm – QPR announce “a number of staff” have been placed on furlough leave while non-playing employees at the club – including manager Mark Warburton – have taken a voluntary pay cut.
5.52pm – One day after the England and Wales Cricket Board announce a £61 rescue package for the game, Somerset announce that “a significant proportion of its staff” have been put on furlough.
As a result of the continuing crisis, the UCI and the representatives from the world of professional cycling have unanimously agreed to extend the suspension of UCI events, across all disciplines until June 1st 2020. ➡️ More info 🔗 https://t.co/CH5qGarMyq pic.twitter.com/zXd7qbMHLM — UCI (@UCI_cycling) April 1, 2020
5.38pm – Cycling’s government body, the UCI, announces that it has extended its suspension of all cycling competitions until June 1.
6.00pm – The ECB announced that chairman Tom Harrison has volunteered to take a 25 per cent pay cut while some staff will be asked to consent to a furlough period.
