Helensburgh Rugby Club's first league match of the 2021-22 season - and their first competitive fixture for more than a year and a half - has been postponed.

The Greens had been due to travel to Ayrshire to take on Cumnock this Saturday, September 4.

But in a post on the club's Facebook group, president John Cashmore said that positive tests for Covid within the Helensburgh squad had left no option but to have the match postponed.

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Mr Cashmore said: "Unfortunately, due to several players receiving positive Covid results we've taken the decision, under advisement from the SRU, to postpone Saturday's first league match.

"We have, of course, informed the relevant authorities including Cumnock RFC who, I should add, were very sympathetic to our predicament.

"The SRU will advise us of a new date for the fixture.

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"Fingers crossed, everyone should be fit and ready to play in what will be our first league match of the 2021/22 season."

That first match will now - Covid and other circumstances permitting - be played on Saturday, September 11 at home to Wigtownshire, who were coincidentally the last visiting team to take the field in a league match at Ardencaple, way back in January 2020.

Helensburgh's final pre-season friendly, away to Garnock on August 28, also fell victim to a Covid call-off, though in that case it was cases within the North Ayrshire club's camp that were to blame.

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