Japan's domestic rugby competition, the Top League, canceled its post-game fan events on Saturday due to concerns over the coronavirus outbreak.

The league canceled its post-game "Greeting Time" events at its fourth-round games this weekend, starting with Saturday's four games held at three different venues, in an effort to mitigate the spread of the new coronavirus which originated in the Chinese city of Wuhan.

(People wear masks during a Top League rugby match in Suita, Osaka Prefecture, on Feb. 1, 2020, amid the spreading coronavirus.)

After each Top League game this season, three players from each team interact with fans and exchange high-fives, known as "high touch" in Japanese.

Japan has confirmed 17 cases of infection from the virus, which causes pneumonia-like symptoms and is spread through sneezing, coughing or direct contact.

No decision was announced about whether the events will resume after the fifth-round games slated for Feb. 15 and 16.