The IRFU have announced that the Energia All-Ireland Leagues have been officially cancelled as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.
Both the men’s and women’s leagues will no longer go ahead, and the Vodafone Women’s Interprovincial Series has also been cancelled.
Although the IRFU hope to be in a position to complete the Energia Community Series, news of the cancellations will come as a major disappointment for everyone associated with the clubs.
In a statement, Greg Barrett, Chair of the IRFU Rugby Committee said: “As Covid-19 continues to impact our lives we had to make the difficult decision to cancel the 2020/21 All-Ireland Leagues and the women’s interprovincial championship.”
He continued: “A huge amount of work is on-going, and we continue to look at avenues that may provide players and clubs with the rugby that they love.
“In the meantime, we will continue to innovate and develop education opportunities that can help players developing skills beyond the traditional forms of training for the game. With over 10,000 players signed up to our ‘Level Up’ workshops, we are helping players develop understanding and skills that will stand to them for many seasons to come.
“Our commitment to players and our clubs remains clear, we will continue to adopt a flexible approach to season planning and will proceed with rugby when cleared to do so by government guidelines.”
