PRO14 matches at Ulster, Edinburgh, Cardiff, Zebre and Scarlets postponed as Exeter delay Premiership game

The adverse weather has taken its toll on this weekend's Guinness PRO14 Round 17 fixtures with five matches postponed.

There remains a full programme of matches in the Aviva Premiership but Exeter have put back their top-of-the-table clash with Saracens at Sandy Park by 24 hours to 3pm on Sunday.

With severe weather warnings in place across the UK and Ireland, the PRO14 games between Ulster and Glasgow, Edinburgh and Munster and Cardiff and Benetton have all been called off.

These were three of the four matches scheduled to be played on Friday evening and two of the three matches pencilled in for Saturday have also fallen victim to the cold snap, with Zebre against Ospreys and Scarlets against Leinster postponed.

The match at Ulster was the first to be shelved when an early decision was made on Wednesday due to the travel implications for supporters, players and staff.

Glasgow Airport has already been badly disrupted by the weather and with further problems expected in Belfast on Friday, it was decided to postpone the fixture at the Kingspan Stadium.

The game has been rearranged for the weekend of April 20-22.

The matches at Edinburgh and Cardiff were both called off on Thursday morning.

Threats to travel and the potential of severe weather on the day of the game, which raised health and safety concerns for all those involved, were also cited as the reason for postponing the clash between Edinburgh and Munster at Murrayfield.

The match has been rescheduled for the weekend of March 16-18.

And it was a similar situation at Cardiff Arms Park, with Benetton also unable to travel to Wales from Italy after their flight was cancelled.

No new date for the Cardiff fixture was immediately announced.

The only remaining PRO14 match on Friday should go ahead as it is being played in South Africa, where the Southern Kings will take on the Dragons in Port Elizabeth.

Officials decided to postpone the clash between Zebre and the Ospreys as it could not be guaranteed that the Welsh region's flight to Italy would go ahead as scheduled due to the severe weather.

Freezing temperatures and further snow are also expected in Parma on Thursday which would also put the fixture at risk. No new date has yet been set for the fixture.

It was a similar story for the Scarlets versus Leinster game with the Irish province unable to travel to Wales due to widespread disruption at Dublin Airport, as well as health and safety concerns, causing the game to be postponed on Thursday afternoon.

Saturday's third match is taking place in Bloemfontein, South Africa, where the Cheetahs will face Connacht.

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A red weather warning was issued by the Met Office on Thursday morning, which included the area around Exeter, and this led to the Chiefs delaying their clash with Saracens from Saturday to Sunday.

A club statement issued on Thursday afternoon read: "With all parts of the country currently being affected due to the inclement weather, discussions held today between Exeter Rugby Club and Premiership Rugby have decided that the fixture will now be delayed by a day."

Reigning champions Exeter lead the Premiership by four points from Saracens, who are second.