Glasgow Warriors return from South Africa after virus outbreak caused Emirates Lions game to be cancelled

Glasgow’s entire squad have returned home safely to prepare for Friday’s match with Benetton after illness wreaked havoc on their two-week trip to South Africa.

The club confirmed on Tuesday that 32 members of the travelling party became unwell with severe gastrointestinal illness during the tour, with last Saturday’s United Rugby Championship match against Emirates Lions in Johannesburg being postponed after numbers of those stricken escalated in the week leading up to it.

An update from Glasgow read: “The symptoms of the illness and transmission behaved like norovirus and this has subsequently been confirmed via medical testing.

“The club escalated its infection control behaviours immediately after the first illness was identified and sought out advice from local and Scottish infection control experts throughout the tour.

“Durban coast is also currently colonised with E. Coli following the tragic floods in the region earlier this year and Glasgow Warriors took steps to mitigate exposure. Although present in our sample we await further tests to determine its role in our illness.

“Preparations have now begun for the club’s upcoming game against Benetton at Scotstoun on Friday, October 28.”

With the Lions game unable to go ahead, the only game of Warriors’ tour brought a 40-12 defeat against Sharks a week past Saturday.