England's final Guinness Six Nations match against Italy at the Stadio Olimpico will either be played behind closed doors or postponed due to the outbreak of the coronavirus.

It comes after an Italian government decree released on Wednesday night said all sporting events in the country would not be open to the public until April 3 in an attempt to halt the spread of Covid-19.

Sources at the Italian Rugby Federation and Italian Olympic Committee have confirmed to the PA news agency that England's climax to the Championship, originally scheduled for March 14, could now be replayed at a later date.

Six Nations organisers are being guided by government directives and, in light of the decree, they will discuss the fate of the game with the English and Italian unions on Thursday.

Rearranging the fixture will be difficult due to the packed rugby calendar and the need to secure player releases from Gallagher Premiership clubs, but the IRF will also be reluctant to lose the revenue generated by a lucrative home clash with Eddie Jones' title hopefuls.

A statement on www.governo.it read: "There will be no sporting events held in the presence of the public, as we look to prevent further opportunities for infection.

"The provisions of this decree are effective from the date of publication until April 3, 2020."

Serie A fixtures will also be affected, while the Coppa Italia semi-final between Napoli and Inter Milan, scheduled for Thursday evening, was postponed earlier on Wednesday.

The Asia Sevens International, set to take place on April 25 and 26 and serve as a test event for rugby sevens at the Tokyo Olympics, had been cancelled due to concerns relating to the virus.

A women's golf event in Abu Dhabi which was due to start on Friday has been postponed on similar grounds, while Italy's Francesco Laporta has been forced out of this week's Qatar Masters after being faced with two weeks' quarantine on arriving in Doha.

Cycling outfits Mitchelton-Scott and Team INEOS both announced they would not be racing until the Volta a Catalunya on March 23.

Augusta National Golf Club chairman Fred Ridley still expects the Masters to go ahead as planned next month.

"The safety, health and well-being of everyone is our top priority at Augusta National Golf Club. We are, therefore, mindful of the Novel Coronavirus COVID-19, which has been widely reported and continues to spread in areas where it has been detected," he said.