If Wasps are unable to play in Premiership final, Bristol will take their place on the strength of finishing third in the league
Tuesday 20 October 2020 07:47, UK
Wasps have produced four more positive tests for coronavirus to place further doubt on their participation in Saturday's Gallagher Premiership final against Exeter.
Three players and one member of staff tested positive and it means the club have returned a total of 11 positive cases in five days and as a result, training continues to be cancelled.
Four players and three members of backroom staff tested positive last week.
A decision on whether it is safe for them to take part in the climax to the season at Twickenham will be made after the final round of testing, the results of which are due on Wednesday.
If Wasps are unable to face newly-crowned European champions Exeter, then Bristol will take their place in the final on the strength of finishing third in the league.
"Following an additional round of COVID-19 testing on Saturday, Wasps can confirm that four more members of the playing department have tested positive," a club statement read.
"Those concerned are now self-isolating, as are their close contacts. After consultation with the medical leads at Premiership Rugby, the RFU and Public Health England, the club will continue not to train at this stage.
"A decision on whether the club will play in Saturday's Premiership Rugby Final will be made following the results of a further set of testing to be undertaken on Tuesday.
"The club's COVID-19 contact tracing, measures and protocols, which remain rigorous, will continue to be adhered to.
"Exeter Chiefs and Bristol Bears have been made aware of the situation prior to the public release of this information."
Bristol won the Challenge Cup last Friday, beating Toulon in the final, and have put those celebrations on hold in case they are required to replace Wasps.
"The players and staff have been great," said Bristol director of rugby Pat Lam. "I've got coaches ready to go, they're working away.
"We're going to try and do a team selection in case we are there and put a gameplan together."
Even if Wasps are given the all-clear to take part in a repeat of the 2017 final, their inability to train since the start of last week causes major disruption to their preparations.
It leaves the early hours of Wednesday morning as the moment when they will discover whether the outbreak has escalated or receded.
Premiership Rugby will wait for those results before a decision is made on what should happen to the final.
