RUGBY UNION: Ipswich Rugby Club's visit of top of the table Hertford has fallen victim to the freezing weather. Club officials inspected the Humber Doucy Lane pitch last night and declared the bone-hard surface totally unplayable.

IPSWICH Rugby Club's visit of top of the table Hertford has fallen victim to the freezing weather.

Club officials inspected the Humber Doucy Lane pitch last night and declared the bone-hard surface totally unplayable.

"It is frozen to a depth of about four inches and with not much prospect of a serious let-up in the cold weather we had to make an early decision to save Hertford from travelling", commented Mike Hancock, Ipswich's director of rugby. "It is also important to make these decisions in good time because with amateur clubs like ours we would otherwise incur charges for catering and the opposition the costs of hiring a coach for transport."

The match against the team currently top of the London League Division Two North will now probably be rearranged for a Saturday in March. Ipswich's next league game is scheduled for a week on Saturday at Woodford.