Wasps face anxious wait to learn Premiership final fate after positive Covid tests

Wasps’ players were today due to be tested again for Covid-19 as their hopes of appearing in Saturday’s Premiership final against Exeter Chiefs hang in the balance.

The club stopped training last week after four players and three staff members returned positive tests for coronavirus.

Further testing has taken place and yesterday’s results confirmed three more players and another member of staff had tested positive.

Those concerned are now self-isolating and Public Health England has advised Wasps to keep their training ground closed and ordered that another round of tests must be conducted today.

The results of those tests, which will arrive tomorrow morning, will decide whether Wasps can play in Saturday’s Premiership final against Exeter, with Bristol Bears on standby to take their place.

Premiership Rugby decided before the season resumed in August that if any team could not participate in the final because of a coronavirus outbreak, the next-highest ranked team would take their place. That would be Bristol, who finished third in the regular season before losing to Wasps in the semi-finals.

There are currently no plans to move the final and Bristol, who won the European Challenge Cup last Friday, have cancelled holidays and celebrations to be ready to play.