Tigers resume on August 15
THE Gallagher Premiership rugby season is set to resume on Saturday, August 15.
Top-flight fixtures were initially shelved for five weeks in mid-March due to the coronavirus pandemic, with play indefinitely suspended on April 8.
But Premiership Rugby has repeatedly outlined its intention to finish the season and, with sports across the country returning, the target date of August 15 was agreed at a board meeting which took place last week.
The decision was taken in the wake of Premiership and Championship clubs this week being given the go-ahead to begin non-contact training.
No decision has yet been taken on whether games will be played behind closed doors, but the Premiership say the structure and format for the rest of the campaign “will follow in due course”.
Last month, Leicester Tigers head coach Geordan Murphy said Premiership players would need two months to properly prepare for a full return to action.
Murphy said union’s physicality meant players must “ramp up” training.
“There has to be a slow, graded return,” he told BBC Radio Leicester.
“That would be a minimum of eight weeks, which is what we’re planning.”
Premiership Rugby chief executive Darren Childs said: “Nothing will happen until it is safe to do so but we will do everything we can to resume the 2019-20 Gallagher Premiership Rugby campaign on Saturday, 15 August. We won’t take risks with people’s health, and rugby has unique challenges due to levels of proximity and impact, but with a number of clubs moving to Stage 1, it is important for us to give players, coaches and clubs clarity on when they can look to return.
“Bearing that in mind, we look forward to the restart of the season.”
There were 13 rounds of Gallagher Premiership fixtures played before the suspension with Exeter are top of the standings, five points ahead of nearest rivals Sale. Leicester Tigers were in 11th place, the same position they finished in the 2018-19 season Exeter, Northampton Saints and Saracens also have European Cup commitments, with the three Premiership sides through to the quarter-finals and the finale tentatively scheduled for October 17.
The resumption of the season will come as a relief to Tigers, with bosses saying they could lose income of more than £5 million this season.
The club is considering making job cuts in the wake of the ‘big hit’ on its finances.
Bath chief executive Tarquin McDonald described the Premiership announcement as “hugely positive” and said everyone was “desperate to get back and play”.