Cardiff and Scarlets face Euro disruption as they remain in red-listed South Africa
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Cardiff and Scarlets face disruption to their European rugby preparations as they are unlikely to avoid 10 days of hotel quarantine after flying home from South Africa.
The country was among six placed on the UK's red travel list after the Omicron Covid-19 variant was detected there.
The Welsh teams are trying to fly home after their United Rugby Championship (URC) games were called off.
But they will not make Sunday's 04:00 GMT deadline to avoid a hotel stay.
Had they achieved that aim, the teams could have quarantined at home, but that would still prevent the players and coaches who are in South Africa from European match preparations.
Scarlets are, however, leaving Durban and flying to Cape Town to be in place for a return to the UK.
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Any British resident arriving after the Sunday deadline must stay isolated at hotels for 10 days after arriving in the UK.
Cardiff are scheduled to host Toulouse and Scarlets go to Bristol on Saturday, 11 December in the Heineken Champions Cup.
UK Health Secretary Sajid Javid said from 12:00 GMT on Friday, six countries would be on the red list for travel into England.
The Welsh government has since adopted those travel rules, external which state any British resident arriving from the six countries after 04:00 GMT on Sunday must quarantine in a hotel.
Those returning before that would be asked to isolate at home for 10 days.
Staying in South Africa
Cardiff and Scarlets explored trying to return on Friday to get home before the quarantine deadline with a charter flight being secured, but they could not gain clearance to fly with both sides forced to remain in South Africa.
A Cardiff statement, issued on Friday, read: "Cardiff Rugby continue to work tirelessly to repatriate their travelling party from South Africa following sudden developments around the Covid-19 variant B.1.1.529.
"Members of Cardiff Rugby staff, both at home and abroad, have worked tirelessly since Thursday night, along with colleagues at the Scarlets, the Welsh Rugby Union and the URC to secure the safe return of the travelling party.
"A charter aircraft has been secured, however we have been unable to secure Civil Aviation Authority clearance due to the closure of borders in the UK and European Union.
"The safety and wellbeing of Cardiff Rugby staff and players remains of paramount importance and every effort continues to be made.
"Cardiff's travelling party remain in good spirits at their Cape Town base while taking every precaution possible."
The Cardiff squad have been based Cape Town
A Scarlets statement, also released on Friday, added: "We have been working tirelessly to secure travel back to the UK for our players and staff. Together with our colleagues at Cardiff Rugby, we had hoped to fly out of South Africa on Friday.
"All members of our travelling party have returned negative PCR tests and strict Covid protocols are being adhered to at the team hotel. The health and wellbeing of the group is our utmost priority.
"We would like to reassure families, friends and our supporters that players, coaches and staff are all well and we thank everyone for their messages of concern and well wishes over the last 24 hours."
The teams travelled to South Africa to play two matches apiece in the URC. Irish side Munster and Italian team Zebre were also in South Africa.
Cardiff and Scarlets were meant to be the first Welsh teams to play in South Africa in the competition, which was launched for this season. There are almost 100 players and coaches from the two Welsh regions there.
Scarlets were scheduled to play Sharks in Durban on Saturday, 27 November, with Cardiff facing Lions in Johannesburg the next day.
Both Welsh sides were then to remain in South Africa, with Scarlets scheduled to face Bulls on Friday, 3 December at Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria, while Cardiff were due in Cape Town to face Stormers the following evening.
URC bosses confirmed those games have now officially been postponed with plans to reschedule them later in the season.
Scarlets trained in Durban after arriving in South Africa
A URC statement read: "The safety and well-being of our participating clubs' players, coaches and support staff and match officials is the foremost priority and the URC is currently working with the four visiting clubs - Cardiff, Munster, Scarlets and Zebre - to facilitate their return as soon as possible."
Heineken Champions Cup action on 11 December starts for Cardiff and Scarlets against Toulouse and Bristol, respectively, and might be played if the squads can return before the quarantine deadline.
Those European fixtures, however, could be in the balance.
European Professional Club Rugby (EPCR), who run the Champions and Challenge Cup, say they are "monitoring the situation".
The initial URC plan was to ask South African sides to return to Europe in November and December, but that was scrapped.
In October, competition bosses confirmed that round six and seven fixtures for Sharks, Stormers, Lions and Bulls would take place on their home soil.
The decision was taken because South Africa had been taken off the UK government's travel red list, removing the need for quarantine on return.