Concerns about fans' safety sees Saints clash postponed

The club have taken the decision due primarily to the amount of snow around the ground that meant it was treacherous for supporters to attend the game.

The postponement at least offers the team a reprieve following a miserable start to the season, that would have been difficult to turn around against a buoyant table-topping Northampton tomorrow.

Despite the postponement, chief executive Gary Hetherington praised the club's groundstaff.

He said: "We are obviously disappointed to have to resort to postponing the game.

"We have a proud record of getting games on here at Headingley Carnegie but unfortunately a combination of unusually high snowfall and low temperatures has left us with no other option for spectator safety.

"I would like to pay tribute to our groundstaff and stadium management team who have done an outstanding job all week to clear the snow and ice from around the stadium only to see further snowfalls.

"Our preparations for the cold snap on the pitch were well judged and the pitch has been covered for 10 days in anticipation of the game and remains playable under the frost sheets."

Tickets already purchased for tomorrow's game will be valid for the re-arranged date once this is confirmed.

Elsewhere, with the two Championship fixtures involving Rotherham and Doncaster already postponed, Otley's fixture at home to Macclesfield and Wharfedale's trip to London Scottish in National One also fell foul of the bad weather.

In National Two North, Morley's home game with Nuneaton is off, as is Hull's trip to Preston Grasshoppers.

And in National Three North, Beverley's clash with visiting Middlesbrough and Bradford and Bingley's trip to Sandal are off, as is Sheffield Tigers' Midlands' match-up with Luton.

There are some Premiership fixtures still set to go ahead with London Irish hosting Leicester Tigers. Saracens host Harlequins at Vicarage Road tomorrow, while Wasps welcome Exeter Chiefs to Adams Park.