Ashes series CANCELLED but England hope to host 'Roos soon

Ex-England hooker Lee Jackson on Andrew JohnsThe Rugby Football League and the Australian Rugby League Commission today confirmed the cancellation of the three-Test series that was scheduled to be held in England this October and November.

A statement read: “Given the continued complications surrounding global travel, and the need to extend the domestic season in both hemispheres because of the significant disruption caused by the Coronavirus pandemic, the governing bodies have agreed to take an early decision to allow greater certainty for players and supporters.

“However both the RFL and the ARLC remain committed to the revival of the great Rugby League tradition of the Ashes - which was first contested in 1908 and had been due to be revived after a 17-year absence for its 40th edition in 2020 – and the Kangaroo tour.

“With the Rugby League World Cup to be held in England in 2021, discussions have already been opened on the potential for the Kangaroos returning for a three-Test Ashes series, from 2022 onwards.”

The news had long been expected due to the global pandemic, especially since it was announced last month the NRL Grand Final had been put back to October 25 - just six days before Australia were due to play the first Test at University of Bolton Stadium.

The second Test was scheduled for Leeds United’s Elland Road on Saturday November 7 before the series culmination at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium a week later.

However, it was revealed recently Down Under that the delayed State of Origin series between Queensland and New South Wales would be played in November, ending any hope of the international games going ahead.

RFL chief executive Ralph Rimmer said: “We make this announcement with great reluctance and disappointment, as we had been looking forward so much to welcoming the Kangaroos for the revival of the Rugby League Ashes in 2020 – and the prospect of the series had captured the imagination of our players, broadcast and commercial partners, supporters and media alike.

“However the current circumstances have had a seismic impact on Rugby League, as on all other sports, and we all now need to give, in order to find solutions for the greater and longer term good of the game. “After regular discussions with the ARLC over the last few months, combined with those within our domestic competitions, we have concluded that the right thing to do for the game as a whole is to make this decision now.

“It will have a considerable impact on the finances of Rugby League here in England, as we were banking on a significant boost from Australia’s first full tour since 2003.

“But as I have said regularly to all parts of the game since the seriousness of the situation became clear, we are all going to have to make sacrifices, and financial adjustments – and we should stress again our gratitude to the Government for the significant support they provided at the start of May, which will help us to deal with this major setback.

“I know our England players, our new Head Coach Shaun Wane and his support staff are bitterly disappointed, and the same goes for the thousands of supporters who had already bought tickets for the matches, as well as our major England sponsors Dacia, Ronseal and Hummel, and our broadcast partner the BBC.

“I’m sure the same will apply in Australia, as it has been so heartening for supporters of the international game to hear Mal Meninga speaking of the importance of the great Rugby League traditions of Kangaroo tours and the Ashes.

“With the Rugby League World Cup in England in 2021, we will have the opportunity to see the green and golds playing again in this country for the first time since the 2016 Four Nations series.

“But we remain committed to a worthwhile international calendar for our senior England teams (Men, Women and Wheelchair) to build on the legacy that next year’s Rugby League World Cup will create and the Rugby League Ashes would be a fantastic part of any meaningful international calendar in the future.

“We have already indicated to the ARLC that we would be keen to welcome them for a three-Test series at any time in the future and will now work together to make this happen as soon as possible.”

Andrew Abdo, the interim CEO of the NRL, said: “It is disappointing that the historic Kangaroos tour to the UK can no longer take place in 2020. “We look forward to the Rugby League World Cup in 2021 and hopefully a tour to the UK by the Kangaroos in a future season.”

Fans who have already purchased tickets to the RL Ashes are able to either claim a credit for a ticket to attend any major Rugby League event in 2020 or 2021 including the Rugby League World Cup 2021 or claim a full refund.

For more details follow this link.

https://www.rugby-league.com/covid_19_coronavirus_ticketing_faqs

Editor’s note: first and foremost - and rarely have I written down these words with more sincerity - I hope this finds you well.

Almost certainly you are here because you value the quality and the integrity of the journalism produced by The Yorkshire Post’s journalists - almost all of which live alongside you in Yorkshire, spending the wages they earn with Yorkshire businesses - who last year took this title to the industry watchdog’s Most Trusted Newspaper in Britain accolade.

And that is why I must make an urgent request of you: as advertising revenue declines, your support becomes evermore crucial to the maintenance of the journalistic standards expected of The Yorkshire Post. If you can, safely, please buy a paper or take up a subscription. We want to continue to make you proud of Yorkshire’s National Newspaper but we are going to need your help.

Postal subscription copies can be ordered by calling 0330 4030066 or by emailing [email protected]. Vouchers, to be exchanged at retail sales outlets - our newsagents need you, too - can be subscribed to by contacting subscriptions on 0330 1235950 or by visiting www.localsubsplus.co.uk where you should select The Yorkshire Post from the list of titles available.

If you want to help right now, download our tablet app from the App / Play Stores. Every contribution you make helps to provide this county with the best regional journalism in the country.

Sincerely. Thank you.

James Mitchinson

Editor