2021 Youth Touch World Cup postponed until further notice

Due to the ongoing global COVID-19 pandemic, the Federation of International Touch (FIT) and host nation England have made the joint decision to defer the Youth Touch World Cup tournament that was initially planned to take place in Manchester in July 2021.

This decision was made due to several factors, primarily to protect the health and wellbeing of the 50 teams and other event attendees intending to travel to Manchester from around the world.

"There are a great many uncertainties relating to the logistics for bringing 50 teams to Manchester. Many nations continue to have mandatory isolation periods for international travellers, and we don’t know when these will end, and air travel is operating well below pre-COVID levels. The availability and affordability of flights make scheduling and budgeting difficult for nations who wish to attend," said FIT in their statement today.

As more information becomes available, FIT in conjunction with England Touch have said they will continue to review their position, and FIT will advise in the first quarter of 2021 if the event is going to be able to be scheduled for the 2022 International Season, allowing member nations time to focus on their Youth Programs domestically as governments ease social distancing restrictions.

This announcement has been compiled based on FIT's announcement, which can be read here: https://www.internationaltouch.org/news/2020/jun/30/fit-and-england-announce-the-2021-youth-world-cup-will-be-deferred/