Italy has ordered all sporting events to take place without fans until 3 April, including their upcoming Six Nations match against England, due to the coronavirus outbreak.

It is the second match of Italy's Six Nations campaign to have been affected by the spread of COVID-19, as their upcoming clash with Ireland in Dublin this weekend has already been called off.

It has not been decided if the England v Italy match will go ahead without fans or be postponed in the hope that supporters could be allowed to attend at a later date.

Image: Italy has already postponed its Six Nations game in Dublin

Another rugby tournament impacted by the decision is Pro 14, which will see two matches forced to be played behind closed doors, and dozens of football ties will also be hit.

Thirty-two Serie A fixtures will have to be played in empty stadiums, as will the Coppa Italia semi-finals that need to be rearranged after being postponed earlier this week.


Football authorities in Italy have been left with a large pile-up of delayed fixtures to squeeze in in before the domestic season comes to an end in May, just a month before the European Championships are due to begin.

The announcement was the second significant measure taken by Italy on Wednesday to curb the coronavirus, after shutting all schools and universities.

Italian authorities say 107 people have died and 3,089 have been infected, making it by some distance the worst-affected European nation.

Image: Italy has suffered Europe's worst coronavirus outbreak so far

It comes as the Premier League wrote to all top-flight clubs advising them to raise hygiene levels at their stadiums and training grounds - and "consider the implications" of similar restrictions being introduced England.

Should the UK government decide to follow the likes of Italy and France in banning large gatherings, it would lead to matches in England's top division being played behind closed doors.

Several clubs have already introduced new health and safety measures in light of the coronavirus outbreak, with Newcastle United and West Ham having banned handshakes at their training grounds.

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The global spread of the infection is having a growing impact on the world of sport, including the biggest club football tournament in Europe - the Champions League.

Spain's health minister has recommended that Valencia's crucial last-16 match against Italian side Atlanta is played without fans next Tuesday.

Returning to the Six Nations, England rugby star Mako Vunipola will miss the opener against Wales on Saturday because he is in self-isolation after flying back from Tonga via Hong Kong.

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The New Zealand-born prop, whose parents are Tongan, was due to link up with the squad on Monday for training, however he has been advised to self-isolate under current NHS guidelines.

The Foreign Office advises that anyone who returns from Hong Kong with a cough, temperature or shortness of breath, even if the symptoms are mild, should self-isolate and call 111.

Image: Mako Vunipola is following NHS guidelines on coronavirus

Concerns remain that the Olympics, due to take place in Tokyo this summer, could be cancelled - but bosses at the International Olympic Committee (IOC) insist it will go ahead as planned.

IOC President Thomas Bach said he remains "very confident" that the games will happen.

If they were cancelled, it would be only the fourth time in history - the other three all being during wartime.

Other sports events in Japan have already been affected, including J-League football matches being postponed and the prestigious Spring Grand Sumo Tournament being held behind closed doors for the very first time.

Image: There are concerns the 2020 Olympics could be cancelled

Japan has the fifth most cases of any country with 331, behind China, South Korea, Italy and Iran.

More than 93,000 have been diagnosed worldwide and over 3,100 people have died - the vast majority in China.

In the UK, Wednesday saw the biggest jump so far in daily cases as 36 new cases were identified - making 87 in all.