Super League is set to return on the first weekend of August.
Plans to restart the competition, seen by TotalRL, will see games begin to take place on the weekend of August 1st/2nd, before a proposed return for all clubs on the weekend of August 15th/16th.
Three alternative fixture schedules have been drawn up with different end dates, with the season to be finished with the Grand Final. The three proposed dates for the Grand Final are November 28th, December 12th and January 16th 2021.
There is also a proposal to reschedule the fixture list so that ‘higher value’ games take place after October 1st, when it is hoped crowds will be allowed to return to grounds, though the document says it is the “most optimistic” date for which spectators could be allowed.
The first two weekends will be used to play games postponed before the lockdown, meaning clubs have played all seven games they were due to play before Covid-19 shut the season down in March.
It means Catalans’ games with Leeds and St Helens, postponed before the lockdown, will be among the games played in the first two weeks of August, with a full resumption for all clubs taking place after that.
The proposal for the November 28th end date features a 22-round Super League. The December 12th finish would see 24 games take place while the January 16th finish would accommodate a 28 game competition, with the Challenge Cup to be completed in all three models.
The number of teams reaching the play-offs has been reduced to four, with the play-offs going straight to a semi-final before a Grand Final the week later.
Midweek matches have been kept to a minimum, with four-midweek rounds scheduled in the models that will see the competition end this year. There are three-midweek rounds if the season carries through to 2021.
It means the competition just over 10 weeks away from a restart. Clubs are set to discuss the three different proposals at a meeting next Thursday.
An August return is later than many had hoped and anticipated, however, it’s understood Super League could still satisfy Sky’s needs by returning by then while a later return gives a greater potential to play in front of crowds later in the year, though it is all subject to government guidelines.
PROPOSAL 1 (22 round competition)
AUGUST 2nd & 9th: Postponed games pre-lockdown to be played
AUGUST 16H: Super League Round 8
AUGUST 23th: Challenge Cup Round 6
MIDWEEK: Super League Round 9
AUGUST 31st: Super League Round 10
SEPTEMBER 6th: Challenge Cup Quarter-Final
SEPTEMBER 13th: Super League Round 11
SEPTEMBER 20th: Super League Round 12
SEPTEMBER 27th: Super League Round 13
OCTOBER 4th: Challenge Cup Semi-Final
Midweek: Super League Round 14
OCTOBER 11th: Super League Round 15
Midweek: Super League Round 16
OCTOBER 18th: Super League Round 17
OCTOBER 25th: Challenge Cup Final
Midweek: Super League Round 18
NOVEMBER 1st: Super League Round 19
NOVEMBER 8th: Super League Round 20
Midweek: Super League Round 21
NOVEMBER 15th: Super League Round 22
NOVEMBER 22nd: Play-off semi-finals
NOVEMBER 28th: Grand Final
PROPOSAL 2 (24 round competition)
AUGUST 2nd & 9th: Postponed games pre-lockdown to be played
AUGUST 16H: Super League Round 8
AUGUST 23th: Challenge Cup Round 6
MIDWEEK: Super League Round 9
AUGUST 31st: Super League Round 10
SEPTEMBER 6th: Super League Round 11
SEPTEMBER 13th:Super League Round 12
SEPTEMBER 20th: Challenge Cup Quarter-Final
SEPTEMBER 27th: Super League Round 13
OCTOBER 4th: Super League Round 14
Midweek: Super League Round 15
OCTOBER 11th: Super League Round 16
Midweek: Super League Round 17
OCTOBER 18th: Challenge Cup Semi-Final
OCTOBER 25th: Super League Round 18
NOVEMBER 1st: Super League Round 19
Midweek: Super League Round 20
NOVEMBER 8th: Challenge Cup Final
NOVEMBER 15th: Super League Round 21
Midweek: Midweek: Super League Round 22
NOVEMBER 22: Midweek: Super League Round 23
NOVEMBER 29th: Super League Round 24
DECEMBER 5th: Play-off Semi-Finals
DECEMBER 12th: Grand Final
Proposal 3 (28 round competition)
AUGUST 2nd & 9th: Postponed games pre-lockdown to be played
AUGUST 16H: Super League Round 8
AUGUST 23th: Challenge Cup Round 6
MIDWEEK: Super League Round 9
AUGUST 31st: Super League Round 10
SEPTEMBER 6th: Super League Round 11
SEPTEMBER 13th: Super League Round 12
SEPTEMBER 20th: Super League Round 13
SEPTEMBER 27th: Challenge Cup Quarter-Final
OCTOBER 4th: Super League Round 14
Midweek: Super League Round 15
OCTOBER 11th: Super League Round 16
OCTOBER 18th: Super League Round 17
OCTOBER 24th: Challenge Cup Semi-Final
Midweek: Super League Round 18
NOVEMBER 1st: Super League Round 19
NOVEMBER 8th: Super League Round 20
NOVEMBER 15th: Super League Round 21
NOVEMBER 22: Midweek: Super League Round 22
NOVEMBER 28th: Challenge Cup Final
Midweek: Super League Round 23
DECEMBER 6th: Super League Round 24
DECEMBER 13th: Super League Round 25
DECEMBER 20th: Super League Round 26
DECEMBER 26th: Super League Round 27
JANUARY 1st: Super League Round 28
JANUARY 10th: Play-off semi-finals
JANUARY 16th: Grand Final
