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Premiership and Championship clubs plan for start of next season to be delayed as late as January 2021

Leicester Tigers - Getty Images Europe 
Leicester Tigers - Getty Images Europe

Premiership Rugby’s decision to return to play on August 15 with a view to completing their season means that it is inevitable that the start of the 2020-2021 season will not be before December and possibly not until the New Year.

Telegraph Sport understands that several clubs in both the Premiership as well as the Championship are making plans accordingly with a much delayed start date for next season in mind.

By default, as a result of Covid-19 disruption, the game will replicate what might happen in future years as and when there is agreement on a new global season which would see professional rugby in the northern hemisphere being played in the summer months.

The knock-on effect in the short-term means that the 2021 Premiership final is unlikely to take place before July with a concomitant impact on the Lions tour to South Africa.

Discussions are ongoing as to whether that eight-match trip might yet be pushed back to the autumn international window of October/November. What is an emergency template for the calendar could become the norm. The 2020-2021 campaign is set to be a forerunner.

Getty Images Sport  - Getty Images Sport 
Getty Images Sport - Getty Images Sport

There are many caveats to Premiership Rugby’s green-light statement, notably that any spike in the infection rates that could cause the government to invoke further restrictions.

“It is great news that we are aiming to get back but there are still a huge amount of challenges facing us all, primarily the safety of all our staff initially as well of our supporters,” said Leicester Tigers’ chairman, Peter Tom.

“We would hope at some point in the future to be able open the gates at Welford Road and we are confident that we could host a crowd of 10-11,000 and be able to apply appropriate social distancing measures in the ground. Of course, that is a long way off yet. The boys are not even back in training.”

Leicester, with former England assistant coach, Steve Borthwick at the helm from July 1, report back for training on Monday, June 15, as do Northampton Saints and Bath. Harlequins, Exeter Chiefs and Wasps begin next week while Saracens are looking to reintegrate their players through individual programmes.

The Championship was moth-balled once the country was in lockdown with Newcastle Falcons promoted and Saracens relegated by dint of their swingeing points’ deduction for salary cap breaches. The former champions will be obliged to fulfil their remaining nine rounds of Premiership matches even though they have no possibility of making up lost ground.

Action Images via Reuters  - Action Images via Reuters 
Action Images via Reuters - Action Images via Reuters

The decision to defer the start of the 2020-21 second-tier Championship until the turn of the year means that there is no competition clash for Saracens, who are also through to the knockout stages of the Champions Cup.

European Professional Club Rugby have been strident in ensuring that the integrity of their tournament is protected.  Telegraph Sport can reveal that the quarter-finals have been ear-marked for the weekend of September 12-13 with Exeter Chiefs due to take on Northampton Saints and Saracens to travel to Dublin to play Leinster.

Any quibbles over the fact that Saracens might have been a Championship club by that date and therefore technically ineligible to take part in Europe’s elite competition have been assuaged by the decision taken at a Premiership Rugby Board meeting on Thursday night to complete the season.

Toulouse face Ulster and ASM Clermont Auvergne receive Racing 92 in the other quarter-finals. The semi-finals are slated for a fortnight later on the weekend of September 26-27.

It is still hoped that the European finals will go ahead in Marseille on October 17, even though one of the other mooted scenarios envisages the completion of the 2019 Six Nations during those slots.

The fixture list for rescheduled Premiership games has yet to be finalised.

“We are taking it one step at a time but are delighted that we have a start date on the horizon,” said a spokesman.