Cape Town loses Saracens game

JOHANNESBURG
SARACENS MOVES GAME TO LONDON

English rugby club Saracens says it will no longer hold a Heineken Cup rugby match in Cape Town in January.

The club said in a statement on Thursday that the game would be played in London after conflict arose between the Western Province Rugby Union and the City of Cape Town.

“We have no wish to be a catalyst for conflict between the City of Cape Town and the Western Province Rugby Union,” Saracens said.

The English club said it looked forward to playing a competitive match in Cape Town as soon as local circumstances allowed.

Supporters who had bought tickets for the game in South Africa would be fully refunded, and UK-based supporters who had booked flights and accommodation would be compensated.

The City of Cape Town wanted the European club match to be played at the Cape Town Stadium, a Fifa World Cup venue, but Western Province Rugby insisted the match had to be played at Newlands.—Sapa