Blow as clubs told players can't return to training on furlough

A report in the Daily Mail last week raised hopes that rugby league and union clubs could start preparing for their seasons to resume without taking a financial hit.

But HMRC says players can not start back while the clubs are taking advantage of the job retention scheme.

A spokesperson telling the Hull Daily Mail: “Sports professionals undertaking supervised training with their employer are unlikely to be eligible for the grants from the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme, because such training directly contributes to generating revenue for their employer.

“Where training is a key component of an employee’s role and directly contributes to generating revenue for the employer, for example training undertaken by sports professionals, then such training will not be allowable within the furlough scheme.”

The implication for Super League clubs is unclear. But with clubs struggling financially with the havoc caused by the coronavirus pandemic, they will understandably want to keep using the job retention scheme as long as possible before a planned restart in August.

The government pays 80 per cent of wages up to £2,500 a month, with clubs topping up extra amounts – though many staff and players have taken significant pay-cuts.

-