
England rugby stars marched off pitch after lightning strikes vs USA.. with match already delayed by hour due to storms
The Red Roses were playing their first match in the States in 24 years as part of the Americas tour on Saturday.
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The match was taking place at Audi Field stadium in Washington DC and had been delayed by an hour due to the adverse weather.
The lightning also caused another 40-minute delay during the first half of the match.
England Rugby confirmed that the players had to be taken off the field due to more lightning strikes around the stadium
A statement read: "Due to lightning strikes in the vicinity of Audi Field in Washington DC, players have been removed from the field of play."
The incident follows on from delays to matches at the Club World Cup, which was held across the US.
Fans in the ground were made aware of the delay as a statement was displayed on the big screen.
It read: "There is inclement weather in the area.
"The match has been temporarily delayed. Please exit the seating bowl.
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"Seek shelter in the concourse and follow instructions from stadium staff."
Clashes between Paris Saint-Germain and Real Madrid, as well as Chelsea's game with Benfica, were delayed because of the weather.
In total, SIX games suffered delays to the action because of the threat caused by thunderstorms.
The horrid weather was not able to dampen England's spirits as they cruised to a 40-5 win against the Eagles.
Before the delay in the first half, a depleted England team went 14-0 up despite having two tries ruled out.
Steve Borthwick 's side was missing many stars due to their commitments to the British and Irish Lions team touring Australia.
Gabriel Oghre scored England's sixth try of the game as captain George Ford made four conversions.
The US did score a late consolation try through hooker Shilo Klein.
Ford admitted that the conditions did not help his team but was proud of their effort.
He said: "The conditions were difficult but it was a good group effort and a huge experience for the new players."
The result sees England stretch their winning run to seven matches under Borthwick.
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