Rovers facing an RFL Covid probe

FEATHERSTONE Rovers are facing the prospect of an investigation and potential severe sanctions by the RFL’s compliance department over an alleged breach of Government guidelines following last weekend’s Challenge Cup tie with Batley Bulldogs.

The Championship club were formally notified yesterday that the RFL were opening an investigation, after receiving photos of Rovers’ players and staff congregating in a bar at their Millennium Stadium home in the aftermath of their 30-22 victory against the Bulldogs on Saturday. The RFL have confirmed the matter was being investigated.

The photos show first-team players and senior officials from the club’s off-field staff mixing indoors something which is currently strictly prohibited under Government guidance surrounding the Covid-19 pandemic.

Board members have been pictured inside the ground mixing with members of the public.

Featherstone have now been informed that the RFL will be looking into the matter - and the

Championship side’s training session planned for this evening could now be cancelled. That immediately brings into doubt the possibility of them staging their Championship clash with the Bulldogs tomorrow night.

If Rovers are deemed to have breached regulations, they could face a strong backlash from the RFL.

The governing body will come down hard on any club who breaches guidelines laid out by the Government, at a time when the sport is set to receive a major cash injection of £16m in the way of the

Winter Sport Survival Package. The game is already fining players who are believed to be over-celebrating in the act of scoring.