Barbarians players charged by RFU for coronavirus breach

Thirteen Barbarians players have been charged by the Rugby Football Union for a breach of COVID-19 protocols which caused the cancellation of their match against England.

The Twickenham clash scheduled for last Sunday was aborted after RFU investigations established members of the Baa-Baas squad broke their coronavirus regulations.

It meant England's players were left without a warm-up match ahead of this Saturday's Six Nations showdown against Italy.

An RFU statement confirmed the players will face charges that include leaving the hotel without permission or without informing organisers of their whereabouts, and providing false statements during an investigation.

We'll be ready Eddie looks ahead to this weekend's match against Italy in the final round of the #GuinnessSixNations

— England Rugby (@EnglandRugby) October 29, 2020

"The RFU recognises the pressure public scrutiny is placing on the players and therefore it will publish players' names, full judgements and sanctions after the hearings have concluded," said a statement from the RFU.

"There is no sanction table applicable to charges brought under Rule 5.12 therefore the Independent Panel can issue a range of sanctions at their discretion including fines and/or match bans and/or any other suitable sanction."

Players involved are set to attend virtual hearings over the next few weeks and face a range of sanctions, including playing suspensions and fines.

A number of the Barbarians players have since publicly apologised for the breach, with former England captain Chris Robshaw saying he was "sincerely remorseful" for his actions.