The Gallagher Premiership has been suspended for at least five weeks, Premiership Rugby has announced.

The move, which comes in the wake of government advice to avoid mass gatherings to combat the coronavirus, will cover four rounds of Premiership games and European quarter-finals scheduled for April 3-5.

A Premiership Rugby statement said: "We are sorry to tell our fans that we will be postponing our season for five weeks, in line with today's advice of Prime Minister Boris Johnson, which confirmed that the Government would no longer support mass gatherings.

"The safety of our fans and staff is our first priority, and we would like to wish all of those who are affected our heartfelt best wishes and a very speedy recovery."

Sale, second in the standings, saw their Premiership Cup final against Harlequins called off after it initially got the go-ahead.

Steve Diamond’s men were due to face the same opposition in league action this Sunday.