Widnes Vikings can confirm that our game against Toulouse Olympique, scheduled to be played Saturday May 8th, has been postponed.
The RFL Board have confirmed that part-time teams in the Betfred Championship will not be required to fulfil away fixtures against Toulouse Olympique for as long as the current UK Government quarantine regulations (which require players and other staff to isolate for at least 5 days on their return from France) remain in place.
That means Toulouse’s home fixtures against Featherstone Rovers and Widnes Vikings, scheduled for May 1 and 8 respectively, will be postponed – but their first home match of the season, against London Broncos on April 18, will go ahead because the Broncos are a full-time squad.
The RFL and Championship clubs have already agreed that positions in the league table will be determined on Win Points Percentage in 2021, to allow for the possibility of postponed fixtures, with only two match slots available for rearranged fixtures – on the weekend of the semi finals of the Betfred Challenge Cup and AB Sundecks 1895 Cup in June, and on the Monday following the finals of those competitions at Wembley on July 17.
The Board have ruled that the priority for rearranging postponed Toulouse fixtures in those available slots should be the teams who were only scheduled to play a single away fixture against the French club following the reduction in the fixture list as a result of the delayed start to the season – Widnes and Swinton Lions, whose away game in Toulouse is scheduled for May 22.
If the progress of Widnes and Swinton in either the Challenge Cup or the 1895 Cup means they cannot rearrange league fixtures for the two available match slots, Toulouse will be required to travel to play the fixtures in England on the scheduled dates.
Other postponed matches could then be arranged for the available match slots, and will be done so on chronological order of the original matches.
With clubs required to have played in 70% of their scheduled fixtures to be eligible for the top six play-offs, the Board have also ruled that Toulouse matches postponed as a result of the current quarantine regulations will not count as postponed for either Toulouse or their opponents – so that neither are penalised for circumstances beyond their control.
In making this decision, the Board noted that under French Government regulations, Toulouse’s players are subject to a seven-day quarantine period following any trip to the UK, making it unreasonable to require them to play any more away matches.
Toulouse will be required to fund the PCR tests which would allow London Broncos staff to reduce their necessary quarantine period following their match in France from 10 days to five – and also to arrange cover for any medical staff unable to travel due to other work commitments.
The RFL Board appreciate that this is a complex issue, and that the landscape regarding international travel is likely to evolve further over the coming weeks and months; however, it has reached the above having weighed up the competing factors and believes that it is in the overall interests of the competition.
https://widnesvikings.co.uk/vikings-game-with-toulouse-postponed/
Sensible decision for this, couldn't expect part time players to quarantine and lose out on a weeks day job wages.
Have to hope we get to the semi finals of the sun decks cup then Toulouse will have to play here twice.
Very complicated but avoiding them means our percentage will be better. Don’t think we would of won there👍
That takes some digesting !
the Widnes and swinton fixtures take preference for rearranging
if we beat west Wales and Whitehaven/ dewsbury then the June date is out for us
doubt swinton will get through to sf of titanic cup, so they will play their away fixture on weekend of 6/7 june , if their fixture on 22 May is postponed, if not that would be fev if they do not make sf
that leaves us with the possibility of a trip to Toulouse for a Monday fixture in July - how would that work with part time players ?, they would have to take Monday and Tuesday off work. why say Monday - surely Sunday would be ok , and they allow London skolars to lay on the Friday before.
also reading the rest, Toulouse would only play London at home and no fixtures until after 17th may
which would mean that they miss 5 fixtures including ours but the swinton game is the week after.
as you need to play 16 fixtures to qualify for playoffs that is tight, if 2 games are called off due to 7 players having COVID, Toulouse could not qualify.
would not surprise me if they pull out for this season
Actually just reread again - if we get to the final of the titanic cup we should avoid Toulouse this season as we cannot be expected to play on Saturday - titanic final and Monday ?
but if we do not get to final then the away trip on the Monday is a distinct possibility
Actually if swinton play there on their date -22 may, and we are in Sf of titanic then Toulouse would have to travel to york( if they not sf) or fax before the fev game, so a lot riding on the sf titanic line up
Can't be bothered weighing up all the ifs, buts and maybes.Just see how it pans out.
Have the RFL and Super League missed a great opportunity to streamline their competition(s) by not simplifying things because of the uncertainty of the pandemic.
If ever there was a need to return to a more simplified format then surely this was it.
And, doesn't it highlight some of the games inadequacies; full-time v part time teams, overseas clubs in a domestic competition and the general overly complicated fixture lists when simplicity should have been the key.
Having the Newcastle 'Magic Weekend' also makes no sense as it is just an extra round of fixtures, particularly when you see that all of the first round games of the will be held at Headingly, which is a 'Magic Weekend' isn't it but by a different name?
For me, it just doesn't make any sense to have extra fixtures when there is a likelihood of matches being postponed which appears to be an obvious conclusion given the current ongoing situation.
I thought the statement said, that if Widnes reach the semi finals of the su deck and so can’t play on the only vacant date for a rearranged match, then Toulouse would have to come and play here.
Yes, that would mean midweek games, which they said would not be considered as there are part time teams - hence no home and away for all
Be surprised if Toulouse can fulfil midweek fixtures over here as it has been mentioned they are part time
particularly when you see that all of the first round games of the will be held at Headingly,
didn’t think that was happening ?
[quote quote Be surprised if Toulouse can fulfil midweek fixtures over here as it has been mentioned they are part time
Toulouse are a professional team, so their players are full time, so they would be able to travel over here. It depends on how long they would have to self isolate for when they got back to France, if their wax time before their next game.
Toulouse are a professional team, so their players are full time, so they would be able to travel over here. It depends on how long they would have to self isolate for when they got back to France, if their wax time before their next game.
wow how long do they have to wax for ?
Could have solved this headache by putting Toulouse in Super League instead of Leigh...
Could have solved this headache by putting Toulouse in Super League instead of Leigh…
very true but SL just looked at the easy money option, quelle surprise