Edinburgh Rugby statement: 'This decision has not been taken lightly'

Edinburgh’s United Rugby Championship clash with Ulster has been postponed after Storm Amy forced organisers to abandon plans for the game.

On Thursday, the club had announced that the round two fixture would kick off earlier than planned in an effort to beat the worst of the weather. The match at Hive Stadium was shifted from 20:05 to 19:00 “from both a safety and matchday experience perspective.”

At the time, Edinburgh Rugby managing director Douglas Struth said: “The safety and experience of our fans have been at the forefront of minds when making this difficult decision and, while it is obviously not ideal to be changing the kick off time on the eve of the game, it is done so with everyone’s best interests in mind.

“The change, while challenging, will allow us to stick far closer to the excellent experience we strive to deliver for our fans and we like thank everyone coming to tomorrow’s game for their patience, understanding and support for our opening home game.”

However, worsening forecasts overnight left the club with little choice but to pull the plug on Friday morning.

Fixture

United Rugby Championship

Edinburgh

19 - 40

Full-time

Ulster

All Stats and Data

A statement confirmed: “Tonight’s Edinburgh Rugby v Ulster match has been postponed.

“Forecast storm force winds it is no longer safe to play the match at Hive Stadium, Scottish Gas Murrayfield or any other suitable venue throughout Scotland.

“A yellow weather warning is in place for Friday and Saturday, meaning the capital is braced for high winds and heavy rain fall brought by Storm Amy.”

Struth added: “We were set to welcome a capacity crowd for tonight’s game. However, the safety of supporters, players, partners, and everyone associated with this weekend’s fixture is of the utmost importance so, while disappointing, it is absolutely the right decision to postpone tonight’s game considering the escalating weather reports overnight.

“This decision has not been taken lightly. We have worked closely with the URC, Scottish Rugby, the Met Office, and local authorities to ensure it is the best-informed choice.”

Edinburgh were beaten by Zebre in Parma in round one and had been aiming to bounce back in front of what was expected to be a sell-out crowd.

No new date for the Ulster clash has yet been confirmed.

“We’d like to thank our fans, partners and Ulster Rugby for their understanding in this unavoidable situation. Once again, our thanks to everyone who planned to join us tonight at Hive Stadium. We hope to see you back with us in fairer weather soon.”