Rangers withdraw from Celtic friendly in Australia

Rangers have withdrawn from a friendly tournament in Australia in which they were due to play fierce rivals Celtic outside Glasgow for the first time after a fan backlash.

The Scottish giants were due to meet in the Sydney Super Cup in November during the break for domestic football as a result of the World Cup.

“Rangers can confirm the club will not be participating in the Sydney Super Cup in November 2022,” the Scottish champions said in a statement.

“After it became clear the tournament organisers were unwilling to fulfil their commitments to Rangers, we have, with immediate effect, terminated the club’s agreement with the organisers.”

The club are understood to have had concerns over their commercial agreement.

Celtic and Rangers supporters reacted angrily to the trip, accusing the boards of both clubs of commercialising the rivalry of the Old Firm fixture.

Rangers fans were further angered by promotional material for the tournament focusing on a “homecoming” for Celtic’s Australian manager Ange Postecoglou.

A 2-1 win for Rangers away to Dundee earlier this month was marred by several stoppages in play as fans threw tennis balls onto the pitch in protest.

Rangers were also due to play Western Sydney Wanderers, with Celtic facing Sydney FC, before the Old Firm fixture, which had been scheduled for November 20.