The English Rugby Football Union (RFU) expects the 2021 Six Nations to go ahead as scheduled in spite of rising Covid-19 cases and a new national lockdown.

The tournament is set to commence on the opening weekend of February and will be played without any spectators in attendance.

A spokesperson for the RFU commented: ‘We are committed to the fixtures, monitoring the situation with all parties and planning continues aligned with current guidelines’.

Each of the nations taking part in the competition is nevertheless set to face significant further losses in revenue as a consequence of playing in empty stadiums. This will come as a blow to the unions that have already had to endure a difficult 2020.

Meanwhile, there is still a lack of clarity on the future of the upcoming British & Irish Lions series this year, with stakeholders working to determine a way forward.

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