Ireland match postponed!

[browner]

A proposed Test match between world champions South Africa and Ireland in Hong Kong later this year has been postponed due to the economic climate.

At the end of last month Ireland team manager Paul McNaughton confirmed the Test match against the Springboks had been agreed for November 7 and that it was “90% certain” to be played in Hong Kong.

But the Hong Kong Rugby Football Union (HKRFU) have confirmed no top-level international will be staged this year.

“It is not going to happen in Hong Kong this year due to the hard economic climate,” HKRFU executive director Allan Payne told Hong Kong’s South China Morning Post.

“We are flattered South Africa and Ireland want to play here, but we said it is best we hold off this year.

“We took a lot of things into account, like the TV markets, ticket sales, visiting fans from overseas, sponsorship and the sale of corporate boxes and when we added it all up, we thought it would be wrong to host such a game this year.

“We want everything to be right, and decided the best thing would be to hold it next year. We have spoken to all parties and told them it won’t be a viable option this year.”

Last November New Zealand and Australia played a Bledisloe Cup match at a sold-out Hong Kong Stadium.

The Hong Kong Sevens will still take place at the same 40,000-seater venue at the end of March, while Hong Kong will also host December’s East Asian Games.