Australia’s biggest sporting competitions, the AFL and NRL, will push on with their seasons despite the coronavirus outbreak shutting down leagues and events across the world.

The NRL will continue next week, even after the New Zealand government’s border restrictions to tackle the health pandemic.

The worst-affected team, the Warriors, will base themselves in northern NSW given New Zealand’s directive of a two-week isolation period for international travellers.

Stephen Kearney’s team will likely host its round two game next week against Canberra on the Gold Coast.

All NRL games will be played behind closed doors indefinitely after the completion of round one.

About 80,000 people have attended opening round NRL games, with two matches to close out the weekend on Sunday.

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Todd Greenberg (l) and Peter V'landys explained the NRL's decision to proceed with the competition. Credit: AAP

The AFL’s season-opener between reigning premiers Richmond and Carlton, a contest that normally attracts up to 90,000 fans, is scheduled for the MCG on Thursday night.

AFL boss Gillon McLachlan has confirmed that spectators will be locked out of stadiums indefinitely.

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With just two rounds to run before finals after this weekend, the AFLW will continue without fans in attendance.

But the escalating COVID-19 issue has forced Super Rugby to be suspended after Sunday’s Australian derby between the Brumbies and NSW Waratahs in Canberra.

With teams based across four countries, SANZAAR had no other option but to postpone the competition after New Zealand’s announcement of travel restrictions.

Uncertainty surrounds the A-League with Wellington Phoenix declaring it would be “impossible” to host matches at home because of the country’s restrictions.

AFL chief executive Gillon McLachlan and football boss Steve Hocking are plotting for the 2020 season to go ahead. Credit: Getty

Sunday’s clash between the Phoenix and Melbourne Victory at Sky Stadium is planned to go ahead.

The domestic cricket season could be over with Cricket Australia cancelling the final round of the Sheffield Shield.

A decision about whether the Shield decider on March 27 goes ahead yet to be made.

It comes a day after the ODI series between Australia and New Zealand was abandoned a game into the Chappell-Hadlee contest so the Black Caps could rush home.

This weekend’s Australian Formula One Grand Prix was cancelled on Friday after a McLaren team member tested positive for coronavirus.

The NBL’s grand final series between Sydney Kings and Perth Wildcats will proceed with game three on Sunday to be played behind closed doors.

Major sporting competitions around the world, including the NBA and Premier League, have already suspended their seasons because of the coronavirus.

Coronavirus bringing overseas sport to standstill

The sporting calendar took a serious beating this week with few events surviving the world’s battle to contain the coronavirus.

Even though Saturday’s UFC mixed martial arts event in Brazil still went ahead it was against a backdrop of eerie silence in an empty arena.

With the local government in Brasilia having banned large gatherings in an effort to contain the spread of the coronavirus, the world’s biggest mixed martial arts promotion held 12 bouts with only the fighters, their camps, the television production crew and a few dozen essential personnel inside the arena.

The virus outbreak has brought the sporting world to a near standstill with the Dutch Grand Prix, scheduled for early May, set to be the next race pulled from Formula One’s schedule.

The UFC Fight Night in Brasilia went ahead on Saturday with no fans in attendance. Credit: AP

There were conflicting messages as to when the new F1 season might start after this weekend’s opener in Australia was cancelled, with subsequent races in Bahrain, Vietnam and China postponed.

The majority view of the sport’s travelling circus is to delay the campaign until the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, pencilled in for June 7, at the earliest.

While speculation regarding the likelihood of this summer’s Olympics going ahead remains rife, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said the country is hopeful of hosting the event “without a hitch”.

The Tokyo Games are due to take place between July 24 and August 9.

“We hope to overcome the spread of infections first and foremost and hold the Olympics as planned without a hitch,” Abe said at a press conference reported by Kyodo News.

On Saturday, Italian Serie A club Fiorentina confirmed positive Covid-19 tests for two more player and a club physio.

Fiorentina's Patrick Cutrone is one of the latest Serie A players to contract the coronavirus. Credit: AP

England’s Football Association, the Premier League, the English Football League, FA Women’s Super League and FA Women’s Championship have all agreed to call a halt to competitions with immediate effect until early April.

The Premier League is set to meet on Thursday to discuss next steps.

All major European football leagues have been suspended while UEFA effectively suspended its Champions League and Europa League competitions indefinitely on Friday.

The Mexican soccer league announced that the rest of its matches this weekend will be played with no fans, a day after starting the weekend with two games in which fans were in attendance.

Major American sports have had their seasons suspended with the NBA and NHL in lockdown while the MLB will delay its 2020 season’s opening day of March 26 by at least two weeks.

The Welsh Rugby Union suspended the community game in Wales from Saturday evening until March 30, and rugby league activity in the country has been suspended until the end of March.

World Triathlon announced the suspension of all races and activities until the end of April - shortly after Britain’s Vicky Holland claimed victory in the Mooloolaba World Cup event in Australia.