Welsh football and rugby called off following death of Queen Elizabeth II

Queen Elizabeth II reigned for 70 years

Football matches at all levels of the game and all senior rugby games in Wales have been postponed this weekend as a mark of respect following the death of Queen Elizabeth II.

Mini, junior and under-18 rugby matches can go ahead.

Cardiff Devils’ Ice Hockey Elite League fixtures this weekend will be played.

The Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) says it is fully supportive of decisions already taken by professional sides in Wales to cancel scheduled friendly fixtures.

With one week to go before the start of the new United Rugby Championship season, Scarlets were to conclude their preparations with a Friday evening game against Welsh rivals Dragons, while Cardiff Rugby were due to host Zebre Parma.

The WRU said junior games already in place this weekend have permission to go ahead in order to avoid disruption to children and families, but requested that clubs observe a period of two minutes’ silence before all matches.

It added further decisions about when to return to play will be taken next week, in accordance with royal protocol.

A full round of Cymru Premier games was due to begin on Friday evening with Flint Town United v Aberystwyth Town, followed by a further four games on Saturday and one on Sunday.

The Football Association of Wales (FAW) says further updates on fixtures scheduled to take place during the period of mourning will be provided in due course.

In the English Football League, Cardiff City were scheduled to host Hull City on Saturday, while Swansea were due to travel to Birmingham and Newport to Swindon. Wrexham would have been at home to Maidenhead in the National League.

Wales’ over-60s cricketers, who are playing in their seniors world cup in Queensland, pulled out of Friday’s match against Zimbabwe.

They are next scheduled to play Australia on Saturday.

With the UK government’s national mourning guidance advising that cancelling fixtures was not obligatory but up to individual sports, ice hockey’s Elite League board decided the opening fixtures of their new season would go ahead this weekend, with all matches preceded by a two-minute silence followed by the playing of the national anthem.

That means Cardiff Devils will open their new campaign as planned at Sheffield on Saturday before hosting Manchester Storm at Ice Arena Wales on Sunday.

Ironman Wales will also go ahead as scheduled on Sunday, however the children’s race, which was due to take place on Saturday, has been cancelled.

Chepstow races have confirmed Sunday’s meeting will go ahead as planned. The British Horseracing Authority cancelled all meetings on Friday and Saturday.

Welsh boxer Lauren Price was due to fight for the second time as a professional on Saturday at the O2 Arena, but the British Boxing Board of Control has announced all cards this weekend will be postponed.

The bill, headlined by the world boxing title fight between Savannah Marshall and Claressa Shields, has a provisional date of 15 October set for it to be rescheduled.