Saturday 14 November 2015 15:59, UK
All of this weekend's Champions Cup and Challenge Cup games in France have been postponed due to the tragic events in Paris on Friday night and the current period of national mourning in the country.
Saturday's games in the Champions Cup between Oyonnax and Ulster Rugby, and Racing 92 and Glasgow Warriors, as well as the Challenge Cup fixture between Pau and Castres Olympique have been postponed.
Sunday's Champions Cup matches between Bordeaux-Bègles and Clermont Auvergne, and RC Toulon and Bath have also been postponed.
The matches will be rescheduled for later dates.
As a mark of respect, all clubs competing in this weekend's remaining fixtures have been asked to observe a minute's silence before kick-off.
It simply would not have been appropriate in the tragic circumstances to have staged the five French-based European games this weekend. We trust that the clubs and their fans who travelled to France will understand why we took this decision in conjunction with the LNR
Simon Halliday, the chairman of European Professional Club Rugby (EPCR) released a statement on Saturday afternoon which read: "First and foremost, we send our sincerest condolences to the families and friends of the victims of these terrible attacks in Paris and, indeed, we send our sympathies to the whole of the French nation.
"It simply would not have been appropriate in the tragic circumstances to have staged the five French-based European games this weekend.
"We trust that the clubs and their fans who travelled to France will understand why we took this decision in conjunction with the LNR (Ligue Nationale de Rugby).
"We salute Toulouse in the Champions Cup, and both La Rochelle and Agen in the Challenge Cup, who are competing in England today.
"When France is in a period of national mourning, we are acutely aware that this is a particularly difficult time for everyone associated with the country, and we thank Toulouse, La Rochelle and Agen for their great sportsmanship.
"We have also asked all clubs in both tournaments to observe a minute's silence before this weekend's kick-offs as a mark of respect to those who lost their lives in Paris.
"Finally, we are working to reschedule the five postponed matches in what is already a crowded rugby calendar, and we hope to be in a position to announce the new dates next week."
