Italy out as World Cup games called off for first time due to typhoon

Rugby Union - Rugby World Cup - World Rugby give update on preparations for Typhoon Hagibis - Tokyo, Japan - October 10, 2019 A satellite image showing Typhoon Hagibis is displayed during a press conference. REUTERS/Matthew Childs

TOKYO (Reuters) - Rugby World Cup organisers were forced to call off matches for the first time in the tournament's 32-year history on Thursday - eliminating Italy as a result - saying the risk from Typhoon Hagibis made hosting them an impossibility on safety grounds.

With the huge storm set to potentially devastate parts of Japan, Italy's game against New Zealand in Toyota and England's match versus France in Yokohama on Saturday have been cancelled while Japan's game against Scotland on Sunday is also in doubt.