The report said there would be a summer bash
Don’t get me wrong, it would be fantastic if there is, but I think that at the current time they are working on what they would like to do rather than what might actually happen. Hope I’m just being a miserable old git and that I’m wrong !! 🙂
Apparently aRL journalist said on Twitter yesterday that the Championship is being put back 3 weeks and we will play 22 matches instead of 26. We’ll play every team once, then 9 teams twice, depending on the league positions from 2019. The RFL said they will give details out over the weekend. Division 1 clubs will start in May and play each other twice, if they wanted to they can start earlier playing in the Challenge cup.
I thought there were 12 teams in the Championship, play 11 teams home and away will give you 22 games plus Cup Ties.
The way things are going with covid we will be lucky to see any games before Easter 2021 (early April). I think Championship/League 1 clubs should opt out of the Challenge Cup and cancel the Sundeck Cup. The 14 Championship clubs could then play each other home and away ie 26 games. As has been mentioned, this could be achieved with some scheduled mid-week games. If the "Big Bash goes ahead - please change the name of this event to the Championship Magic Weekend or something similar as the rugby can be just as "magic" as SL - maybe some way could be found to designate games as home and away games for clubs, if necessary.
We’ve opted against returning to training just yet.
interview with Finnigan on social media.
makes sense with the season delayed, restrictions in place & the local statistics with the virus.
<p style="text-align: left;">I can’t remember what they decided for next season. There was 14 teams in the championship last season, but Leigh are going to replace Toronto in SL, so are they going to promote a League 1 team to the championship to keep it at 14, which would be the most sensible, or just have 13 teams in it, I don’t think they will relegate the bottom team in the championship after only playing 5 games.</p>
“ 26 games with some scheduled mid-week games .. and if the “Big Bash goes ahead, please change the name of this event to the Championship Magic Weekend .. “
Good idea Frank. If the season is able to start at Easter and IF the rollout of Covid jabs goes as planned, the Magic Weekend could take place over the August Bank Holiday weekend.
The 'Bash' emphasises the least attractive aspect of the game for sure.
There should be plenty of time for getting fit and hopefully stronger. With reduced games the intensity should be up.
An RL journalist said on Twitter yesterday that the Championship is being put back 3 weeks and we will play 22 matches instead of 26. We’ll play every team once, then 9 teams twice, depending on the league positions from 2019.
What's all that about ? Can't make head nor tail of it.
Sadly, I am beginning to believe that - despite all of the optimism - the 2021 season will not now take place.
And, just on a similar dismal note, I believe that the RFL should do the right thing and postpone the forthcoming World Cup now and re-schedule (maybe) for 2022.
Coming so soon on the back of the continuing pandemic and the failed Toronto Wolfpack experiment, the game cannot afford any more disastrous negative (costs) or headlines.
Sad, but true.
I think some sort of season will happen, but whether it is elongated or not remains to be seen.
Success of the RLWC depends on good crowds: especially 70,000 plus at the final. (I went last time it was here, good day). Hopefully by November that will be possible: watched the cricket from Oz lately and there are crowds of a decent size in.
Not sure there’s a lot of optimism, Darth.It’s bad enough for the lower league clubs but even SL clubs will be getting jittery now at the prospect of playing behind closed doors.They will have to though, in order to fulfill the sky agreement.
Does it get to a stage potentially where we go with the East/West Conference system mooted before Christmas just for this season?
I think that may be an option to get some meaningful Rugby in, in front of crowds: if this drags well past Easter.
<p style=”text-align: left;”>I can’t remember what they decided for next season. There was 14 teams in the championship last season, but Leigh are going to replace Toronto in SL, so are they going to promote a League 1 team to the championship to keep it at 14, which would be the most sensible, or just have 13 teams in it, I don’t think they will relegate the bottom team in the championship after only playing 5 games.</p>
Newcastle were confirmed last month as the team to replace leigh
i am still hopeful there will be a championship this season staring last week in March and teams playing each other home and away 26 fixtures including double header weekends on the May bh weekends, one game Friday the other Monday which gives every team a home game on both by weekends.if small crowds are allowed ( hopefully up to 4000) it would be sustainable
Listening to Raab a bit earlier and the current plan is to introduce a gradual easing of lockdown in “spring” / “March” and targeting September for the completion of the first dose of vaccine for all the adult population I’m not holding my breath for games by Easter, putting aside the question of attended games. It’s probably best if we start our planning for 2022, sadly.
But a great many of our ST holders are on the wrong side of seventy and will have been jabbed by then and could attend with spacing.