RFL warn of job losses across the sport as ‘crowds are ruled out in 2020’

Plans for supporters to be allowed back into sports events from October have been shelved by the Government following a tightening of public restrictions in the fight against coronavirus.

Super League, which has staged matches behind closed doors since it resumed in August, had been due to host four pilot matches with crowds of up to 1,000 on September 30 but those plans have been scrapped.

The RFL was granted a £16m Government loan earlier in the year but it has warned that short-term measure cannot guard against the consequences of further sustained disruption.

A statement from the RFL read: “The loan facility provided by Government has been welcomed by the sport. It was predicated on an initial 12-week lockdown.

“Additionally, every club has taken significant steps to reduce costs, and players and staff have taken pay reductions.

“The sport has reacted quickly and decisively in facing these challenges. Yet it remains likely that with losses at up to £2million a week across the sport as a whole, and continued uncertainty, there will be job losses across the sport.”

The cancellation of the pilot scheme was described as “disappointing and frustrating” by Leeds Rhinos chief executive Gary Hetherington.

Speaking in the House of Commons, Prime Minister Boris Johnson revealed current restrictions are likely to remain in place for six months.

That would mean Super League matches continuing behind closed doors not only for the rest of this season, but also at the start of the 2021 campaign.

Hetherington’s response was to warn that “sport and entertainment of all types and kinds is now under very serious threat”.

He said: “That applies equally to soccer, cricket, rugby league, rugby union; any sport which thrives off its fanbase and its audience is now under threat – any pub, club, restaurant as well.

“We are all in the same boat, really.

“Clearly it is a very worrying situation, but I think sport is showing we can have meaningful competition without increasing the rate of infection and I think we could certainly demonstrate that we could attract fans also without increasing the chances of further infection.

“That’s why we’re disappointed we’ve not got the opportunity to test that next Wednesday.”

Leeds’s home fixture against Catalans Dragons on September 30 will go ahead as planned at Headingley, but in front of empty stands. Huddersfield Giants will play host to Hull KR the same evening, but Hull’s visit to Castleford Tigers has been pushed back 24 hours.

Though a gate of 1,000 season ticket holders and sponsors would not have solved clubs’ financial woes, Hetherington admitted the decision to drop the pilot is a “setback”.

He added: “A tremendous amount of work, effort and time had gone into what was going to be a step in the right direction towards maybe getting more fans to come back over the course of the season.

“It is a setback in that regard, especially given the amount of work that has gone into getting all the protocols in place.

“We have already staged quite a number of games behind closed doors and we are extremely confident Emerald Headingley would have been one of the safest places imaginable, for any gathering of people.

“We could certainly have delivered that for the safety and comfort of those 1,000 fans and we’re disappointed we’ve not got that opportunity.

“We are disappointed for those 1,000 people who obviously are now not going to be able to attend.

“We will await government guidance and advice as to when that pilot game will be restored.”

The Rugby Football League yesterday confirmed the Coral Challenge Cup semi-finals – including Leeds against Wigan – on October 3 will be played behind closed doors at St Helens’ TW Stadium.

Wembley will host the final two weeks later, but that is also likely to be without spectators.

Rugby league has battled on despite cases of coronavirus being reported among players or staff at a growing number of clubs, including Leeds who have confirmed hooker Brad Dwyer is isolating after returning a positive test last week.

Dwyer was suspended for last week’s Cup tie against Hull KR, but will also miss the league rematch tomorrow.

“It has been difficult, but hopefully I am coming through the other side now,” said Dwyer, who suffered a severe headache and flu-like symptoms. “It has been about a week now since I found out I’d had a positive test.”

“I am not sure where it has come from, or where I have caught it from, but from that news I was isolating straight away and I’ve not been out since.

“If I am still symptom-free, from the back end of this week I am allowed to come back and live a normal life, as long as I get a negative test.

“Then it is a seven-day return to play protocol I have got to go through, to make sure everything is all right with my heart and my lungs before I go back to playing rugby.”

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