The 2019-20 Top 14 season is set to be cancelled after French prime minister Edouard Philippe banned any sporting events before September.

The Top 14 had been planning for a return in August, but is expected to follow their soccer counterparts in announcing the cancellation of the season.

The French Ligue 1 and Ligue 2 football seasons have already announced that their seasons will be cancelled following the prime minster’s address on Tuesday.

Phillipe made the announcement as part of a plan to introduce a gradual lift of the lockdown in France, saying that no event where more than 5,000 people gather would be allowed until at least September.

‘The 2019-2020 season of professional sports, including football, will not be able to resume,’ Phillipe said.

‘It will be possible, on sunny days, to practice an individual sporting activity outdoors, obviously respecting the rules of social distancing.

‘It will not be possible, neither to practice sport in covered places nor team or contact sports.’

The Top 14 had just finished its 17th round of action when it was suspended due to the Covid-19 pandemic. There were still nine rounds left to play before the playoff stages, with Bordeaux eight points clear at the top of the log on 61 points. Defending champions Toulouse were in seventh place on 40 points.

Photo: Manuel Blondeau/Icon Sport/ Steve Haag Sports/Hollywoodbets