Mako Vunipola has been named in the Saracens starting side to face Leicester Tigers this weekend despite being stood down from England duty over coronavirus fears.

Mako Vunipola was 'gutted' at missing out on a 60th Test cap due to England's decision to stand him down over the coronavirus scare. He played for Saracens on Saturday instead.

France's Six Nations clash against Ireland joins England v Italy in being pushed back, although RFU chief Bill Sweeney says he sees no reason why Wales v Scotland can't go ahead.

Player's union chief executive Damian Hopley has urged rugby authorities to apply 'common sense' to the process of re-scheduling matches postponed due to the coronavirus outbreak.

The world of sport is a quiet place right now, as competitions spanning all disciplines across the globe have slammed shut their doors amid the growing pandemic. It is, however, not the first time.

Rugby's total shutdown was confirmed on Monday night as the Premiership, European cups and all community games were suspended. But the England tour of Japan is still on - for now.

Gloucester have informed players and staff that their wages will be slashed by 25 per cent and several rivals are set to follow suit, amid fears of a looming financial apocalypse.

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW BY NIK SIMON: Only seven days ago, Jack Nowell still had a note in his diary earmarking this weekend as the time for him to return to Exeter's starting team.

The World Cup winner said his 'Aunty Jean', who was in her 80s, 'never ever ever did anything but bring sunshine in to my life', adding that she had passed away on Saturday morning.

Leading officials staged a conference call on Monday night to address urgent issues arising from the disruption caused by the coronavirus outbreak. England are due to fly to Japan in late June.

World Cup stars George Ford, Ben Youngs and Dan Cole have been catching up with fans of their respective teams to make sure they are happy and healthy with the country on lockdown.

RFU CEO Bill Sweeney has also said that the Marriott hotel adjoining the stadium could be used to accommodate doctors and nurses, and the north car park for drive through testing.

Eddie Jones's men were due to play two Tests against the 2019 World Cup hosts in July, but plans now appear in jeopardy after the latest announcement from the Japanese governement.

Sport in all corners of the world has ground to a halt as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. But some teams and players are returning to training and plans are being drawn up to get going again.

IAN LADYMAN: As English football conjures ever more fanciful ways to conclude an interrupted season, this is the problem. Anyone can get coronavirus, that includes footballers.

'The marketing outlay already was significant with just four weeks to go before the release, including a $4.5 million Super Bowl spot that ran in February,' THR.com reported.

A coronavirus testing center opened Sunday in the parking lot of Miami's Hard Rock Stadium that will test first responders and the elderly.

Cases of coronavirus in Florida have surged to nearly 7,000, with 857 people hospitalized and 87 dead. The first confirmed case of coronavirus in Florida was a month after the Superbowl on March 1.

Staff from New South Wales Health will help federal biosecurity staff to monitor travellers following an outbreak of a new strain of coronavirus which is believed to have spread from Wuhan.

A number of Australians have been tested for the virus which has led to 17 deaths from about 524 cases in China.

Health officials are investigating if a person has caught the deadly new coronavirus in New South Wales.

Six people in two Australian states are being tested for the deadly new coronavirus spreading from China as the global death toll rose to 26 with 844 confirmed cases.

Four people in NSW and two on the Gold Coast are being tested for the deadly new coronavirus spreading from China as the global death toll rose to 26 with 844 confirmed cases.

Fake social media posts are claiming coronavirus is spreading in several Sydney suburbs, and is even found in Lipton ice tea.

Two Sydney mums have been charged after a bizarre online spat over the coronavirus allegedly ended in a wild brawl.

One international student from Wuhan, who asked not to be named, said he was quizzed by officials on the way in to the airport and a group of doctors wearing masks asked him if he was unwell.

New South Wales Health said the outbreak of the virus, which has infected more than 450 people nationally, had further raised demand already sitting at record highs at the end of last year.

A young mother-of-two broke down in tears at a pharmacy in Sydney's Bondi Beach on Tuesday after discovering that coronavirus hoarders had bought all of the Children's Panadol Baby Drops.

NSW Health is looking into expanding testing to those even with the mildest symptoms in a bid to further flatten the curve of the deadly virus.

DOMINIC LAWSON: The coronavirus sweeping the world can be traced back to a food market in the Chinese city of Wuhan, where the new strain first transferred from wildlife to humans.

DOMINIC LAWSON: The decision to extend the lockdown has, unsurprisingly, intensified the complaint that 'shutting down the economy will cost more lives than the coronavirus'.

The Dutch FA took the decision on Friday to cancel the Eredivisie , with the title left by vacant by Ajax and AZ Alkmaar, and neighbouring Belgium could follow after a meeting on Monday.

The FA will today hold urgent talks over the impact of the coronavirus on England's Wembley friendly with Italy next month. Twelve people have died from the disease in Italy so far.

FA chairman Greg Clarke says England will continue to prepare for next month's friendly against Italy at Wembley despite increasing fears over the spread of the coronavirus.

MATT HUGHES - CHIEF SPORTS REPORTER: England players have been told there is a possibility the game will be called off, as the FA wait for advice from the government.

The coronavirus is set to cause more sporting event cancellations, with England's upcoming friendlies against Italy and Denmark under threat, according to The Sun.

EXCLUSIVE BY MATT HUGHES: The FA face multi-million pound losses if they are forced to cancel games or stage them behind closed doors due to the coronavirus crisis.

The England boss was keen on getting the players together if England's friendlies with Italy and Denmark were postponed later this month, which they now have been.

UEFA have officially decided to postpone the Euros until the summer of 2021 due to the coronavirus pandemic. It will now take place between June 11 to July 11 next year.

Gareth Southgate has urged England not to waste time worrying about the postponed European Championship and urged fans to provide each other with relentless support.

ADRIAN KAJUMBA: Joe Cole has donated £25,000 to the 'unbelievable' NHS staff working round the clock to fight coronavirus and urged the nation to give what they can to help out.

The news had been widely expected since the Olympics were pushed back by 12 months, with the coronavirus crisis also creating a backlog of qualifying fixtures.

Euro 2020 was postponed until next year due to the coronavirus pandemic but fans can tune in to watch one of the Three Lions' most famous tournaments on ITV from May 11.

EXCLUSIVE BY MATT HUGHES AND DOMINIC KING: England's Under 20 team is at risk of being scrapped or merged with other sides due to cost-cutting measures set to be implemented by the FA.

Several Gunners' stars were reluctant to make too much contact with players from opponents Portsmouth as they lined up at the start of Monday night's FA Cup match.

The scheduling mayhem caused by the coronavirus pandemic could lead to next season's FA Cup and Carabao Cup being axed. Fixture pile up could lead to getting rid of them temporarily.

IAN LADYMAN: The big clubs of this country will have no choice but to reshape the domestic game a little and they will seek to do it in a manner that suits themselves.

The 76-year-old, who played 726 games in 15 years at Elland Road, was admitted to hospital with Covid-19 earlier this month but failed to make a full recovery in devastating news for the club.

In March boxing superstar Floyd Mayweather was hit with two bereavements, and has not had the chance to speak out publicly since. Taking to social media, he reveals what is on his mind.

Researchers studying a potentially more lethal, airborne version of bird flu have suspended their studies because of concerns the mutant virus they have created could be used as a devastating form of bioterrorism or accidentally escape the lab.