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Wellington - An ambitious plan to stage a match between New Zealand's Canterbury Crusaders and English Premiership club Saracens in New Orleans has been cancelled, the Crusaders said on Monday.
The planned fixture on August 1 at New Orleans' 70 000-capacity SuperDome was designed to capitalise on growing US interest in rugby union.
But Crusaders chief executive Hamish Riach said the match organisers, US-based promoter RugbyLaw, had contacted the seven-time Super Rugby champions to say it was not going ahead.
"This is obviously a disappointing outcome, given that we had received all assurances up until this point that the game would proceed," he said.
"The decision is out of our hands though, so we have no choice but to accept that result and move on."
Neither Riach nor RugbyLaw's website offered any further explanation for the cancellation.
Riach advised Crusaders fans who had already booked flights to New Orleans to contact RugbyLaw.
He said they would also be offered a season pass to next year's Crusaders home games in appreciation of their support.
