RFL officials say they are working with the government and public health authorities to “maximise” the number of spectators allowed at Wembley for the big double-header of 1895 Cup and Challenge Cup finals on Saturday, July 17.
That’s after a four-week delay to the planned end of lockdown, which will now be on Monday, July 19.
Featherstone face York in the 1895 Cup final at noon, with Castleford and St Helens contesting the Challenge Cup final at 3pm.
Currently, rules allow only 22,500 at Wembley, but four European Championship football matches taking place there before July 19 can be watched by around 45,000, half the capacity.
That’s as part of a select number of pilot sports events, along with the Wimbledon tennis singles finals and the British Grand Prix at Silverstone, allowed to open their doors to large crowds.
The rules at the current stage three of the UK’s lockdown roadmap mean events not part of the scheme can only host 10,000 fans or a quarter of venue capacity – whichever is lower.
The RFL say they are “working with the Department of Culture, Media and Sport and Wembley Stadium to maximise capacity” for the double-header.
Mark Foster, the RFL’s chief commercial officer, said: “We have had talks with the government in recent weeks and particularly in the last week since the semi-finals, and these have continued.
“With further discussions planned during the next couple of days, we hope to make a further announcement on ticketing arrangements before the end of the week.
“We have deliberately held back a proportion of tickets at Wembley Stadium, even for a limited capacity, to ensure that some supporters of the four clubs involved will be able to attend.
“With over four weeks to the finals the timescale is tight, but we still have enough time to ensure fans are able to purchase tickets, deal with any requirements to attend, plan their journeys and have a safe and enjoyable experience.”