Rugby Union: Newbury game postponed

Newbury's fourth-round Pilkington Cup tie with Lydney on Saturday has been postponed after an outbreak of a bacterial infection yesterday struck down a ninth player.

The Rugby Football Union's doctor, Cliff Roberts, and Newbury's medic, Keith Endersby, inspected the players last night after the ninth suspected victim, second row Andy Duke, went down with the illness.

The players, all forwards, are suffering from the same strain of staphylococcus bacteria, which brings the victim out in boils.

Terry Burwell, the rugby director of the Division Four South club, said: "Postponing the tie could cause us problems with a fixture pile-up but we really had no option. In all my years in rugby, I have never come across an incident like this."

Newbury, who postponed their match with Worcester on Saturday, face a fifth-round tie with last year's runners-up, Leicester, on Saturday week if they manage to beat Lydney.