Gallagher Premiership moves away from plan to complete season at neutral grounds

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Latest from The Times this evening :

Gallagher Premiership matches are set to be played home and away when the league resumes in August, rather than the earlier plan to play only at neutral venues.

While the original scheme for a return to action involved finding one or two suitable biosecure venues to play all the remaining matches, The Times understands that clubs are now preparing to host their own home games, following the resumption of Premier League football in the past week.

Rugby’s leading clubs have set August 14 as a target date for a return to action and their home grounds will only be sanctioned to stage fixtures if the prevailing medical advice permits nearer the time. However, Premiership officials are closely monitoring the progress of their counterparts in football and the option of playing at neutral venues is now looking increasingly unlikely.

Twickenham Stadium, owned by the RFU, and the Ricoh Arena, home of Wasps, had originally been seen as potential biosecure venues because of their on-site hotels, but last month Premiership Rugby asked clubs to put their own grounds up for consideration as neutral venues, with Bristol Bears offering the use of Ashton Gate.

Nine rounds of matches in the Premiership are remaining, although some clubs are now making preparations to play as few as six, with a possibility that three rounds of matches will be scrapped. Players have begun to return to non-contact training at their clubs in the past fortnight.

Uncertainty remains over when the season will finish, as potential clashes loom in October with the international game, as unions attempt to reschedule postponed Test matches. England are aiming to host their postponed game against the Barbarians on October 18, the day after the postponed Heineken Champions Cup final. Bill Sweeney, the RFU chief executive, has outlined plans for an eight-team tournament to replace the autumn internationals, involving the Six Nations and two other invited teams.

Players are contracted to remain with their clubs in October, though , and in a meeting last week English and French clubs made clear their opposition to plans for internationals to be staged that month. The issue is due to be voted on a week tomorrow.