'No sport in France before September'; what next for Catalans Dragons and Super League?

The rule has massive ramifications for top-flight outfit Catalans Dragons but also Toulouse, who were leading the Championship before the coronavirus pandemic forced the season to be halted.

French prime minister Edouard Philippe announced no sporting events, even those behind closed doors, could take place before September.

Ligue 1, which had planned to return on June 17, has now has become the second major European football league, after Holland, to be cancelled due to coronavirus.

Philipe said: "The 2019-2020 season of professional sports, including football, will not be able to resume.

"It will be possible, on sunny days, to practice an individual sporting activity outdoors, obviously respecting the rules of social distancing.

"It will not be possible, neither to practice sport in covered places, nor team or contact sports."

Super League has yet to pencil in a restart date on when action may resume here, and what shape the season may take, though many club bosses have stressed the need to fulfill as many of the original fixtures as possible.

But this decision on Catalans will clearly have an impact, possibly forcing all their matches until September to take place in England.

Former Wigan players Sam and Joel Tomkins, Micky McIlorum, Tom Davies and Lewis Tierney are all at Catalans.

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