Just when Cardiff appeared to be at the end of their ill-fated trip to South Africa, the United Kingdom's aviation authorities have intervened to delay their homecoming.
Dai Young's side were due to be the last of four United Rugby Championship clubs to leave South Africa after the country was added to the UK and the European Union 's red list for travel over the weekend.
Scarlets and Zebre succeeded in departing for Europe on Sunday after neither club recorded any positive coronavirus cases, while 34 of Munster's squad and staff arrived back in Ireland on Wednesday.
Cardiff had chartered a flight to take 42 players and staff to England on Thursday ahead of a 10-day quarantine at a Covid-secure hotel, but a limit on flights into the UK set those plans back by at least 24 hours.
"We can confirm that due to restrictions on inbound flights to the UK and the withdrawal of a landing slot, we were unable to take off this morning," the club said in a statement.
"We now plan to depart Cape Town tomorrow morning [Friday]. Thank you for all of your support."
Six Cardiff Rugby players tested positive for Covid-19 since Saturday and are serving 10-day quarantine protocols in a Cape Town hotel prior to returning to the UK.
The club was forced to find a Covid-secure site in England for their quarantine upon arrival due to the fact Wales has no Home Office-approved location big enough to accommodate the squad and staff.
This also prevented them from flying into Wales, with the government failing to approve their arrival despite reports they had a "plane secured and had an exclusive hotel in Cardiff that had agreed to take both them and the Scarlets."
Should the affected URC teams have their European fixtures rearranged after returning from South Africa? Let us know in the comments section.
News of the delay came following reports that some among Cardiff's camp were suffering from panic attacks and "serious mental health issues."
Director of rugby Young already confirmed none of those players present in South Africa would be available for the upcoming Champions Cup fixtures against Toulouse (Dec. 11) or Harlequins (Dec. 18).
Welsh rivals Scarlets urged European Professional Club Rugby (EPCR) to consider rearranging the upcoming continental fixtures as they prepare to face Bristol Bears (Dec. 11) and Bordeaux (Dec. 19).
Chairman Simon Muderack said the Llanelli club will have only 14 fit players available to face Bristol next weekend as things stand.
Young, meanwhile, assured Cardiff will do 'everything in their power' to field a squad against Toulouse, rather than run the risk of forfeiting the game and incurring an automatic 28-0 defeat.
"Anyone from this trip will be ineligible to face Toulouse and Quins, but we have got a number of internationals back home and we will do everything in our power to honour these fixtures," he told Cardiff's official website.
"The team will be made up of the internationals who haven't come with us and some of our best academy players."
Preparations for the Champions Cup games won't be affected in the sense that none of those players returning from South Africa would have featured, but those stranded will not welcome the delay.
Cardiff were scheduled to face the Lions and the Stormers on back-to-back weekends in Johannesburg and Cape Town, respectively, but those fixtures will be postponed until a later date.
