SA Rugby chief executive Jurie Roux says the postponement of the 2020 Olympic Games is disappointing but necessary in the bid to combat the Covid-19 pandemic.

The International Olympic Committee and Tokyo 2020 Organising Committee announced on Tuesday that the Olympic and Paralympic Games will be postponed until 2021. With rugby sevens now an Olympic sport, the Blitzboks were due compete for gold at the Games that were originally scheduled for July.

It’s official: Tokyo Olympics to be postponed until 2021

‘We realise this isn’t the news Springbok Sevens coach Neil Powell, his players and the team management would have wanted to hear, as they were very hard at work to be in peak form for the global showpiece, but we are living in extraordinary times and these drastic steps are vital to ensure the safety of the players, team management, match officials and supporters,’ said Roux in a statement.

‘They had a solid plan in place for the Olympic Games, but desperate times call for desperate measures and it is important that we all take the necessary steps to try to contain this pandemic.

‘I would like to thank the players, coaches and management for all their hard work spanning many months in order to prepare.’

Photo: Grant Pitcher/Gallo Images