Finnigan faces familiar foes in league opener
THE club gaining promotion from the Betfred Championship to Super League in 2021 will do so via points percentage rather than the number of points won.
Championship clubs including Widnes Vikings have agreed to adopt the format introduced by Super League in 2020 to cope with the impact of the coronavirus pandemic.
The Rugby Football League says postponements will be permitted if a team loses seven or more players for Covid-related reasons, be it players with positive tests, or who have been ruled out through test and trace analysis of close contacts in matches or training.
The first option will be for matches to be rearranged on a free date but, if this is not possible, the fixture will be cancelled.
It has also been determined to suspend Golden Point Extra Time for drawn matches for the 2021 season, following concerns expressed at the meeting for the welfare of players who will have gone more than a year since their last fixture, and the majority of whom are part-time. The intention is to reintroduce Golden Point for the 2022 campaign.
The Championship season comprises 22 rounds up to the weekend of September 19, with each of the 14 teams playing nine of the other 13 twice and the other four once.
The Summer Bash will be scrapped in 2021 because it is expected crowds will have to be limited when fans are eventually permitted to return.
The Championship will return after a year’s absence on April 2. Widnes will travel to Kingston Park to face Newcastle Thunder, who were elevated from League 1 to take the place vacated by Leigh’s return to Super League.
Simon Finnigan will take charge of the Vikings for the first time against West Wales Raiders in the first round of the Challenge Cup before the trip to his former club on Good Friday in the opening league game.
The Vikings travel to Toulouse in Round Five, looking to replicate the victory the last time the club made the trip to France.
They will close the season with a short trip to Heywood Road to take on Swinton Lions on Sunday 19th September. The full fixtures for 2021 are as follows:
APRIL:
FRI 02 Newcastle Thunder (A) 3pm
SUN 18 Dewsbury Rams (H) 3pm SUN 25 Batley Bulldogs (A) 3pm
MAY:
SUN 02 Swinton Lions (H) 3pm SAT 08 Toulouse Olympique (A) 6pm
SUN 16 York City Knights (H) 3pm
SUN 23 Whitehaven (H) 3pm
SUN 30 Oldham (A) 3pm
JUNE:
SUN 13 London Broncos (H) 3pm SUN 20 Sheffield Eagles (H) 3pm SUN 27 Bradford Bulls (A) 3pm
JULY:
SUN 04 Halifax Panthers (A) 3pm
SUN 11 Featherstone Rovers (H) 3pm
SUN 25 London Broncos (TBC) 3pm
AUGUST:
SUN 01 Batley Bulldogs (H) 3pm SUN 08 York City Knights (A) 3pm
SUN 15 Dewsbury Rams (A) 3pm SUN 22 Halifax Panthers (H)
3pm
SUN 29 Whitehaven RLFC (A) 3pm
SEPTEMBER:
SUN 05 Oldham RLFC (H) 3pm SUN 12 Bradford Bulls (H) 3pm SUN 19 Swinton Lions (A) 3pm