Players have to come off furlough in order to train again

RUGBY LEAGUE players must come off furlough if they return to organised training, which could prove problematic as clubs look to get up and running again following the coronavirus.

Most players at Super League, Championship and League 1 clubs have been on the national job retention scheme since it was introduced at the end of March.

The government pays up to 80 per cent of furloughed staff wages – up to £2,500 – but they are unable to work for that employer while on leave.

It was reported that rugby union’s Premiership clubs had been told their initial return to training would not invalidate that funding as no revenue would be created.

That offered hope to rugby league clubs that their players – hoping to resume playing action by mid-August – could start training again without being forced to resume paying wages while still no games and generated income.

But an HMRC spokesperson confirmed: “Sports professionals undertaking supervised training with their employer are unlikely to be eligible for the grants from the coronavirus job retention scheme, because such training directly contributes to generating revenue for their employer.

“Where training is a key component of an employee’s role and directly contributes to generating revenue for the employer, for example training undertaken by sports professionals, then such training will not be allowable within the furlough scheme.”

Elsewhere, England winger

Ryan Hall yesterday played his first game since being injured while representing Great Britain against New Zealand last November.

The former Leeds Rhinos star, 32, was a late call-up for the ill James Tedesco as champions Sydney Roosters dismantled Brisbane Broncos 59-0.

Hall started on the right wing as his rampant side inflicted the Queensland club’s biggest ever defeat.

One bright bit of news for Brisbane is that they have re-signed

Ben Te’o, the former England and British Lions centre, on a deal until the end of the season.

Te’o’s former South Sydney team-mate Sam Burgess has finally opened up on what he felt went wrong during England’s dire 2015 Rugby World Cup campaign.

The ex-Bradford Bulls star called his then-Bath coach Mike Ford “a snake” and accused him of using Burgess as a “pawn” to play politics during England’s woeful tournament.

He claimed Ford wanted England coach Stuart Lancaster’s job and also that his son George Ford, the fly-half and club-mate, would not talk to him after Burgess was preferred in the starting line-up for the game against Wales they eventually lost.

Dewsbury-born Burgess – who returned to South Sydney soon after – told the House of Rugby Podcast: “I had to tell him (Mike Ford) I couldn’t play for him anymore; I’d lost respect for him.”

Wakefield Trinity have signed highly-rated youngster Harry Bowes on a three-year professional contract.