Castleford Tigers and Wakefield Trinity's Betfred Super League campaign set to restart in August

Super League will make its return on August 2 after restart plans were confirmed by the sport's governing bodies today.
Wakefield Trinity.Wakefield Trinity.
Wakefield Trinity.

The first three games will all be held at a single venue with Hull Kingston Rovers facing Toronto Wolfpack­­­, St Helens tackling Catalans Dragons and Huddersfield Giants taking on Leeds Rhinos.

A full round of fixtures - which will include Wakefield Trinity and Castleford Tigers - will be held the following week (August 8/9).

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All matches will initially start behind closed doors. The Tigers were joint top with five wins from seven when the season was suspended in mid-March while Trinity had secured two wins from five outings.

Castleford Tigers celebrate victory over St Helens before lockdown. Picture:  George Wood/Getty Images.Castleford Tigers celebrate victory over St Helens before lockdown. Picture:  George Wood/Getty Images.
Castleford Tigers celebrate victory over St Helens before lockdown. Picture: George Wood/Getty Images.

The revised season will see loop games scrapped with another 15 rounds scheduled, followed by a top four semi-final play-off series, with the winners of the semi-finals contesting the Betfred Super League Grand Final, set to take place towards the end of November 2020.

The 2021 campaign will kick off later than the traditional February date following a late finish this season.

All Betfred Super League fixtures will take place behind closed doors at a small number of neutral venues that meet the stringent guidance from both Government and the game’s clinical advisory group.

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Super League are also said to be closely monitoring government directives in both France and Canada.

Super League Executive Chairman, Robert Elstone said: “We are delighted to confirm Betfred Super League will be returning in just a few weeks’ time on Sunday August 2, live on Sky Sports.”

“We are in the final stages of confirming where the games will be played, and we continue to work closely with Sky Sports to deliver the best possible broadcast schedule for our fans. Further details of this will be confirmed over the coming weeks.”

“Above all we know that fans want to get back into grounds to support their teams. We will continue to follow government advice and work alongside the RFL, clinical advisors and ground safety personnel to ensure that when that time comes, Super League is ready to welcome back its fans at the first opportunity.”

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“Whilst the recent government announcements underline increasing optimism, the pandemic remains unpredictable. Our final fixture schedule needs to respond to opportunities that will unfold over the coming weeks and accordingly, full details of fixtures, venues and season structure will be confirmed as they become known”.

“I would like to express my gratitude for the understanding and patience shown by Sky Sports, Betfred, and our other valued commercial partners, as we have navigated through this difficult time.”

“Finally, I would like to thank the fans and players for their patience, positivity and desire to see Super League back up and running post-Covid-19.”

Castleford's victory over St Helens was the final match played before the shutdown of the sport, while the return of the competition will end a 140-day hiatus for the sport.