Rugby league: Rochdale Hornets’ season ends early as League One season cancelled by RFL

Rochdale Hornets logo

The Rugby Football League has announced that the remainder of the League 1 season will not continue in 2020 which means that Rochdale Hornets will play no further league games this year.

Prior to the suspension of competitive fixtures, Hornets had played one league game against Keighley Cougars and three games in the Challenge Cup with the last of these being played on 15 March.

In a statement the RFL said: "The Betfred Championship and League 1 seasons will not resume in 2020 – this follows the Government announcement last week identifying October as the earliest opportunity for the return of crowds to sport, and the finding of a survey of Betfred Championship and League 1 clubs that a majority in each competition would not support playing matches behind closed doors. Again, the issue of protecting the solvency of clubs informed this decision."

The Betfred Championship and League 1 clubs will be invited to play in a competition this autumn, with a theme of celebrating the sport’s 125th anniversary - and with a prize pot of £250,000, thanks in part to financial support from the Betfred Super League clubs. 

In a statement, Rochdale Hornets said: "The board will meet tomorrow to discuss the implications of the decision and assess all our options, including the invitation to join an autumn competition as an alternative to the League One campaign. 

"We would like to place on record our thanks to our fans who have remained patient and understanding during this challenging time. We understand you will have many questions and we will aim to provide a further update this week."