Rugby | Home nations could have crowds for July tests

While the cream of Britain’s and Ireland’s rugby players are in South Africa, their national teammates will have tests of their own in the July window.
England, Wales, and Ireland could have crowds in attendance, while Scotland is going to Romania and Georgia in a schedule forged by World Rugby after the test windows last June and November were canceled.
The northern hemisphere teams usually head to the south in July, but the effects of the coronavirus pandemic have drawn many teams to Britain and Ireland, where restrictions on public life are being increasingly eased as vaccine rollouts reduce the risk of deaths and transmission.
France has already confirmed two tests in Australia, but Italy has canceled its two-test tour of New Zealand. Italy is the highest-ranked team to go without a match in July.
“The current conditions made it preferable for the national team to concentrate energies ahead of the autumn series,” the Italy Rugby Federation said.
Italy will host the All Blacks in the autumn as some consolation.
Instead of going to North America, England is bringing the United States and Canada to Twickenham on July 4 and 10 respectively.
The English Rugby Football Union hopes to sell 10,000 tickets to each game, “with the potential to increase these numbers if government guidelines allow in the coming weeks.”
They would be the first supporters at 82,000-seat Twickenham since 2,000 were allowed at the Autumn Nations Cup final last December. MDT/AP