All rugby matches in Scotland this weekend suspended as mark of respect

A decision has not yet been made about Edinburgh's pre-season game versus Benetton in Treviso

HRH Queen Elizabeth. Image: Craig Watson
HRH Queen Elizabeth. Image: Craig Watson

ALL domestic rugby matches in Scotland– including Glasgow Warriors’ pre-season friendly versus Ulster at Scotstoun tomorrow [Friday] night, Scotland Women’s World Cup warm-up match versus Spain on Sunday at the DAM Health Stadium, the Super6 contest between Southern Knights and Ayrshire Bulls on Saturday, and all club/school games in the National and Regional Leagues/Conferences – have been suspended as a mark of respect following the death earlier this evening of Queen Elizabeth.

However, a decision has not yet been made about Edinburgh’s pre-season match versus Benetton in Treviso, as that game is being hosted by a non-Commonwealth country.

“As a mark of respect, and to acknowledge the sad passing of Her Majesty The Queen, Scottish Rugby has decided to suspend all domestic competitive matches this weekend,” said a statement issued by the Scottish Rugby Union.

“The decision also includes Scotland’s Summer Test v Spain on Sunday and the Famous Grouse Pre-Season Challenge between Glasgow Warriors and Ulster on Friday evening.

“A decision on Edinburgh Rugby’s game in Italy against Treviso, also on Friday evening, will be made once further Government guidance is known”


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About David Barnes 3264 Articles
David has worked as a freelance rugby journalist since 2004 covering every level of the game in Scotland for publications including he Herald/Sunday Herald, The Sunday Times, The Telegraph, The Scotsman/Scotland on Sunday/Evening News, The Daily Record, The Daily Mail/Mail on Sunday and The Sun.

27 Comments

  1. As I dropped my son at a hastily arranged training session on Saturday (after the cancellation of his club’s scheduled match), I couldn’t help but notice how difficult it was to find a parking place, as loads of youth football matches were being played on the adjacent pitches. Didn’t really make sense to me…

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  2. Someone has died and I feel sympathy for her family, friends, and those who knew/felt a connection to her.

    Personally, I’m deeply uncomfortable over the role, authority, and hard/soft power of the monarchy. I won’t be mourning beyond feeling sympathy for those who have lost a loved family member. I expect nothing more from George, Charlotte, and Louis when I shuffle off this mortal coil.

    But the SRU’s decision to cancel all rugby dictates our behavior, with which I don’t agree. Relatedly, perhaps someone can explain why playing a rugby match (say, Cumnock U13 Girls vs Dumfries Saints U13 Girls) is disrespectful. What would you advise players to do instead?

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  3. Was absolutely the right thing to do, it’s only one weekend after all and what has happened is a pretty big deal to put it mildly

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  4. Theres no wrong or right in this debate but as many commentators on this thread have highlighted, its a shame for youth rugby who’ve been deprived of so much over the last couple of years. If you can go to the pub/supermarket/shopping centre/work then you can go to the rugby. Let the players and fans show their respect before and on the pitch. It would’ve been a nice touch and a chance to express some emotion in a positive way.

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  5. I find it interesting that rugby and many of its supporters are so happy to accept the DCMS guidelines about how to show respect. The DCMS are part of the very same Government whose leaders whilst under lockdown last year felt the way to show respect for The Queen on the eve of her husband’s funeral (where she sat isolated and alone) was to have a party.

    Sometime in life you have to think for yourself and not rely on being told what you should do particularly when those doing the telling have little credibility.

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  6. But all football in England as well as Scotland postponed so just maybe Scottish rugby have it right for once?

    Maybe inconveniencing yourself by missing a game of rugby or losing a few quid on food and drink is worthwhile to show proper respect to someone who gave seventy years of dedicated service?

    Or is it all me me me?

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      • Silly nitpicking. In England all senior men’s and women’s football has been postponed. My nephew’s youth league in England have also postponed their fixtures but yes some (not all) youth football may take place just as some kids might play a game of rugby in Scotland tomorrow.

        But if you can’t live without a game of rugby for a day then go south to England and fill your boots.

        To others a day’s sacrifice to show respect for seventy years sacrifice isn’t too much to ask.

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      • Wish you checked before you posted.
        All leagues of football in UK cancelled as a mark of respect to Queen .
        Horse racing ..Cricket .Tour of Britain bike race. .Golf at Wentworth.Cricket all cancelled

        That’s the correct decision in the current circumstances

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    • Joe the youth have endured so much IV respect for the old. The opportunity to pay respect to the Queen has been missed and instead resentment of yet another imposed restriction on their activities has happened. This is tone deaf

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  7. As of now ALL Rugby allowed in England. In Wales and Ireland all youth Rugby. In Scotland all youth sports aside Rugby for which there will be none.

    We really are not getting this right. We rushed our decision. We then dug our heels in. We know we got it wrong but we refuse to adapt.

    There is a distinct lack of real world corporate experience and courage in governance here.

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  8. What are SRU doing suspending all Rugby? Rather than allowing thousands of people young and old to show respect collectively and then play a game HRH loved. They haven’t thought this through. DCMS (. By extension the Palace) had said go ahead. Honestly after all that has been gone through these last few years this is clueless. If funeral next weekend then September weekend no youth rugby for a month mid season. Please engage brains

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  9. Government guidance is that events do not need to be cancelled. Don’t know why the SRU felt the need to cancel everything so quickly. Some very disappointed youth players this weekend.

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    • The decision kind of sums up the SRU hierarchy. Dive in with no thought process in place. Hmmmm!!!!!

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  10. Lots of people will now mark the occasion by sitting in the house, going to the pub etc etc. The options was to actually have people mark the occasion by a silence, black armbands etc. Not to mention Clubs expenditure on food, drink travel…….As said above a really rash decision

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    • Totally agree that this a rash decision. I’m sure the late Queen Elizabeth the first of Britain would have preferred sport to go ahead. Furthermore this does not take into account the feelings of the growing number of republicans in this country who are sickened by the pantomime that is the house of Windsor.

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  11. So a mark of respect/mourning is to suspend sport or joy…
    Why not suspend work and business/money in all countries of the commonwealth?

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  12. A really rash decision. Allowing communities and youth to come together hold two minutes silence then celebrate the life and service of HRH a much better choice

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Comments are closed.