Saints confirm cancellation of Mobbs' Own Match

With a Northampton Saints Invitational XV and the British Army initially scheduled to face off on Wednesday, April 15, the club last week announced that the clash was postponed as a result of the outbreak of Coronavirus (COVID-19).

But in line with the RFU’s cancellation of all domestic rugby below the Gallagher Premiership for the remainder of the season, Saints have had no option but to call off the exhibition game.

Those who have already purchased tickets for the match will be eligible for a full refund, but if supporters would prefer to not claim their money back, all proceeds from the match will be donated to the Mobbs Memorial Fund – which promotes the development of youth rugby in the East Midlands.

If you have purchased tickets, head to https://www.northamptonsaints.co.uk/news/mobbs-own-match-at-franklins-gardens-cancelled, click the 'DONATE OR REFUND' button and fill out your refund preferences by no later than Tuesday, April 14.

“It is a great shame that we will not get to watch the latest edition of this famous match here at Franklin’s Gardens in 2020, but of course the safety of everyone involved has to come first,” said Saints CEO Mark Darbon.

“Our relationship with the British Armed Forces remains incredibly important to the club, and no doubt we will welcome the Army’s accomplished side back to the Gardens in the not-too-distant future.”

Chris Fowke, chief operations officer at Army Rugby Union, added: “The Army Rugby Union are exceptionally proud to be associated with the Mobbs’ Own Match, but the cancellation of this fixture is no doubt the correct thing to do in the current climate.

“The safety of all involved is paramount. We look forward to resuming our strong relationships in 2021, so we encourage supporters of the match to keep safe, and we will see you all then.”

A message from the Editor:

Thank you for reading this story on our website. While I have your attention, I also have an important request to make of you.

In order for us to continue to provide high quality and trusted local news on this free-to-read site, I am asking you to also please purchase a copy of our newspaper when you do your weekly shop.

Our journalists are highly trained and our content is independently regulated by IPSO to some of the most rigorous standards in the world. But being your eyes and ears comes at a price. So we need your support more than ever to buy our newspapers during this crisis.

With the coronavirus lockdown having a major impact on many of our local valued advertisers - and consequently the advertising that we receive - we are more reliant than ever on you helping us to provide you with news and information by buying a copy of our newspaper.

Thank you