It’s March 18th but your eyes are not deceiving you. That is snow you see outside your window and covering pitches and racecourses alike around the country.
Rugby
The Leinster Rugby Schools Senior Cup Final is one of the matches to have fallen foul of the weather so far on Sunday with the clash between Belvedere College and Blackrock College now rescheduled for Friday, March 23rd at 2pm at the RDS.
A statement from Leinster Rugby read: “Despite the best efforts of the ground staff at the RDS, today’s Bank of Ireland Leinster Rugby Schools Senior Cup Final has been postponed due to overnight snow in and around the stadium.
A first pitch inspection took place at 7.30am this morning and while the pitch itself was covered overnight and was in good condition under the covers, consistent and heavier snow fall this morning would have made playing conditions near impossible.
Ultimately the health and safety of the Belvedere College and Blackrock College players, as well as their supporters travelling to and from the stadium, is of utmost importance and as a result the match has been postponed.
The game will now go ahead on Friday, 23rd at 2.00pm in the RDS Arena.
Supporters are asked to retain their tickets but any supporter unable to attend the refixture can avail of a full refund at the point of purchase.”
GAA
GAA matches around the country have also been affected with all four of the Allianz Hurling League quarter-finals pushed back until Monday.
The meetings of Wexford v Galway, Dublin v Tipperary, Offaly v Kilkenny and Limerick v Clare have been postponed on Sunday and will now take place on Monday afternoon.
Offaly will welcome Kilkenny at 1pm, Galway will meet Wexford at 2pm and Dublin will take on Tipperary at 3pm and Limerick face Clare at 4pm.
Six other games across football and hurling have also been rescheduled with full details below.
For the moment all other games are still going ahead as scheduled but further updates may follow.
Allianz Hurling League Quarter-Finals
Wexford v Galway - rescheduled for Monday, March 19, 2pm throw-in
Dublin v Tipperary - rescheduled for Monday March 19, 3pm throw-in
Offaly v Kilkenny - rescheduled for Monday March 19, 1pm throw-in
Limerick v Clare - rescheduled for Monday March 19, 4pm throw-in
Allianz Hurling League Division 2A Final
Westmeath v Carlow - rescheduled for Monday, March 19, 2.30pm throw-in
Allianz Football League Division Two
Louth v Meath - rescheduled for Monday, March 19, 2pm throw-in
Down v Tipperary - CCCC will confirm re-fixture details on Tuesday
Allianz Football League Division Three
Offaly v Sligo - rescheduled for Monday March 19, 3pm throw-in
Allianz Football League Division Four
Waterford v Leitrim - rescheduled for Monday, March 19, 2pm throw-in
Wicklow v Limerick - rescheduled for Monday, March 19, 2pm throw-in
Racing
There will be no racing in Britain or Ireland today after Navan, Limerick, Carlisle and Ffos Las were all abandoned due to heavy snow.
The meeting at Navan was set to stage the Toals.com Bookmakers Webster Cup Chase with the scheduled reappearance of Willie Mullins’ exciting Great Field and the progressive Doctor Phoenix.
There was also the Grade Three Flyingbolt Novice Chase, a competitive handicap chase and a Listed novice hurdle.
However, just before 8.30am the Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board announced that: “Following a course inspection at Navan, the course was found to be unfit for racing due to a covering of snow. As a consequence the fixture scheduled for today, Sunday, 18th March, has been cancelled.”
