Sale Sharks’ have forfeited their rescheduled final-round Gallagher Premiership clash against Worcester Warriors, Premiership Rugby has confirmed.

The match was originally due to be played on Sunday but was postponed after 16 players and three backroom staff from the title-chasing Sharks tested positive for coronavirus last week.

In an additional round of testing conducted on Tuesday, six new players and two staff tested positive, making the AJ Bell Stadium clash unsafe to play.

Sharks have insisted reports over the weekend that the cases were caused by players partying in Manchester after they won the Premiership Rugby Cup last month are ‘completely inaccurate and untrue’.

Sale’s play-off quest is now over after they were forced to forfeit the game with a 20-0 win being awarded to Worcester and so Bath are through to the semi-finals. 

Both semis will be played this weekend.