European Professional Club Rugby (EPCR) has awarded Ulster a 28-0 bonus-point victory after cancelling their Challenge Cup clash against the Cheetahs due to frozen pitch conditions in the Netherlands.
The Round 3 pool fixture, originally scheduled for Amsterdam’s NRCA Stadium, fell victim to the severe cold snap gripping Europe. Organisers relocated the match on Friday to Duke Rugby Club in ‘s-Hertogenbosch, bringing kick-off forward to 13:00 GMT and staging it behind closed doors. However, overnight snow and sub-zero temperatures left the pitch frozen solid.
Referee Kevin Bralley deemed the surface “impracticable and posing a risk to player welfare” following a pitch inspection, initially postponing the match. EPCR then convened its Board Crisis Management Group before officially cancelling the fixture and awarding Ulster maximum points.
EPCR placed responsibility firmly on the hosting club.
“Despite the obvious challenges connected with the playing of this fixture, and noting the incredible efforts of the Toyota Cheetahs and Rugby Nederland to ensure the fixture could take place, it is the hosting club’s responsibility to ensure the match can go ahead,” the governing body’s statement read.
The decision leaves the Cheetahs rooted to the bottom of Pool 3 with zero points from three matches, eliminating them from knockout stage contention. Ulster climb to second place in Pool 3 and secure a guaranteed spot in the round of 16. The five points follow their opening victory over Racing 92 before a narrow defeat in Cardiff.
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Former Ulster fly-half Ian Humphreys, scheduled to commentate on the match, spoke to players who described the pitch as “rock hard” during warm-ups.
“They said it was pretty obvious the game couldn’t be played. It feels a bit of a shambles,” Humphreys told Radio Ulster.
He expressed particular frustration for players in Ulster’s heavily rotated squad who had “something to prove”, but were denied the opportunity.
Ulster released a statement acknowledging their disappointment whilst prioritising player safety.
“The safety of players, match officials and supporters must always be the priority, and we respect the referee’s decision following the pitch inspection.”
The Cheetahs nominated the NRCA Stadium in Amsterdam as their home venue for European fixtures to reduce extensive travel costs. Former Exeter Chiefs European Cup winner Gareth Steenson explained: “The Cheetahs do a lot of travelling, so they are probably looking at being in Europe for a few weeks; which would save them travelling back and forth. It’s obviously frustrating, because if it were in South Africa it definitely would have been played.”
The Cheetahs face Racing 92 in their final pool match on Sunday, whilst Ulster will build on their guaranteed knockout stage qualification when the competition resumes.
