Coronavirus scuppers dream trip for young Jarrow rugby team who raised £10,000 to compete in Florida tournament

The Jarrovians Rugby under-14s side were due to cross the pond in April for the Tropical 7s tournament.

The team raised £10,000 to compete against some of the top youth teams from around America, Canada and the rest of the world.

But their dreams have been scuppered by the coronavirus epidemic, with the tournament cancelled and travel restrictions in place to the USA.

Lisa Perry, co-founder of the club, said the news was a big disappointment but everyone was understanding of the circumstances.

She said: “As you can imagine, the boys are devastated along with myself and coaches. But the safety of our players and relatives are priority.”

The tournament was scheduled to take place on April 11 at Champions Gate in Orlando, Florida, but has now been suspended until 2021.

A statement for the tournament organisers said: “Due to the heightened concerns surrounding the ongoing COVID-19 coronavirus outbreak and in the interests of the health and safety of all participants and their families, the 2020 Tropical 7s has been cancelled.”

The Jarrovians under-14s team raised the £10,000 to fund the trip through bag packing, social events, raffles, tombolas and donations.

President Donald Trump extended a ban on flights entering the US to include the UK and Ireland at the weekend.

The Foreign Office has advised UK citizens to avoid travelling to the USA, and all non-essential international travel for 30 days.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced drastic new measures to help slow the spread of the Corvid-19 coronavirus on Monday March 16.

This included asking people not to travel unnecessarily, as well as avoiding pubs, restaurants and other social gatherings.

Mr Johnson also said people should work from home where possible.

He said the advice was particularly important for pregnant women, people over the age of 70 and those with certain health conditions.

People in at-risk groups are expected to be asked within days to stay home for 12 weeks.

More than 1,500 people have tested positive for the virus in the UK so far - but the actual number of cases is estimated to be between 35,000 and 50,000.