England’s match against Italy has been postponed following an outbreak of coronavirus in the Milan area.

Organisers of the event were forced to cancel Sunday’s match following the news that Italy had been hit particularly hard by the spread of the virus. Italy’s Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte and Minister of Health Roberto Speranza decided to cancel sporting events in the north of the country following the outbreak.

"Further to an increased number of Covid-19 cases in the Milan Area, the Italian Authorities have decided to cancel all sporting events in the Veneto and Lombardi Regions,” organisers of the match, that was expected to go ahead on Sunday, revealed in a statement.

“Six Nations Rugby are looking at options with the FIR and Scottish Rugby to reschedule this fixture at a later date.

“We will be staying in contact with the FIR and Italian authorities to keep updated on the situation in the region.”

Organisers of the women’s Six Nations are looking to find a new date for the clash with an announcement of the rearranged fixture expected in the coming days.

It is estimated that over 60 people in the Lombardy and Veneto area surrounding Milan have contracted the virus with two people having died. The regions have seen entire areas shut down with schools and offices closed to prevent the spread continuing.

This will be the second Red Roses match that has been postponed after the side’s away fixture with Scotland was cancelled due to the weather conditions brought by Storm Ciara. The match was rearranged and played at Murrayfield behind closed doors with England winning 53-0 in the Edinburgh snow.