Dual-registration is to be abolished next year as part of plans for the return of Championship and League 1 in 2021.
A meeting between the RFL and clubs took place last week where plans for the return of the two competitions were discussed.
The governing body said dual-registration be shelved on medical grounds and issues surrounding Covid-19 and players entering different environments during the week.
Having players training and playing with two different clubs at the same team is considered a serious risk and as a result, the system will not be in use next season.
Instead, clubs will have to loan players. Loans will all be on initial 28-day periods and the player will not be allowed to return to the bubble of their parent club during that period.
Inevitably, it is a matter that raises numerous issues for clubs.
Many have recruited while planning around the depth of their dual-registration partners but will now be unable to take advantage of those resources.
Additionally, the fact that players won’t be able to train with their parent clubs is also a disadvantage for Super League clubs, as it means players won’t be able to continue their development in a full-time environment if they join a part-time team.
But with reserve grade not returning until 2022, young players now face the predicament of spending the year playing Academy rugby while waiting for first-team opportunities, or sacrificing full-time training to play first-grade games.
The prospect of a March return was discussed should there be no developments on fans being allowed back in grounds before April.
Additionally, it seems unlikely that asymptomatic testing will be made mandatory for clubs, which will drastically reduce costs.
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