GLASGOW, who were due to make their European Cup debut against Ulster in Belfast on Friday night, will not know until today whether the game will go ahead on Sunday as directed by the tournament organisers.
A Sunday kick-off contravenes Ulster rugby's traditional observance of the Sabbath.
All European Cup and Conference matches involving UK clubs which were to have been played on Friday night or Saturday have been delayed until after the funeral of the Princess of Wales.
League rugby in Scotland, England and Wales has also been postponed. The SRU last night decided that League Trophy, friendly and school fixtures scheduled for Saturday would be called off as a mark of respect. League Trophy games will be played on Sunday or the following midweek.
The European Cup match between Glasgow and Ulster at Ravenhill, Belfast, was the only one scheduled for Friday night.
But yesterday Ulster chief executive Michael Reid said the directive from the tournament organisers that the match should now take place on Sunday was causing problems because of the Ulster union's traditional observance of the Sabbath.
He said: ''Traditionally, we do not play rugby in Belfast on Sundays. We have never played on the Sabbath at Ravenshill. We are in a Catch 22 situation.
''Perhaps it would seem disrespectful to go ahead with the match, as planned, on Friday night, but to hold it on the Sunday would cause a bit of a stooshie over here as well.''
Reid added that he would make representations to the organisers, the Five Nations' off-shoot European Rugby Cup Ltd, in an effort to seek an alternative date. ''We favour Monday but Glasgow
say that causes them travel problems.
''If ERC say it is a fait accompli, then we will probably just have to get on with it, but it is a difficult situation all round for everyone.''
The Scottish Borders were to have opened their cup campaign on Saturday against the holders, Brive, in France. That game, too, has now been put back to Sunday.
The Borderers' chief executive, Ron Sutherland, said: ''We will still fly out on Thursday morning, but will have to unpick the return arrangements.
''That is no easy feat with a travelling party of more than 30 people. We will now, hopefully, return on the Monday.''
Caledonia Reds, the only one of the 20 sides in the cup having a scheduled Sunday kick-off - against Llanelli in Perth - are unaffected but Edinburgh, who play Perpignan in the Conference, will now play on Sunday instead of Saturday.
The only two Cup games involving non-British sides - Leinster versus Toulouse and Treviso versus Pau - go ahead on Saturday as scheduled.
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