Paris (AFP)
The steering committee of the National Rugby League, supposed to officially confirm the stopping of the 2019-2020 season of Top 14 and Pro D2, in particular, will take place Monday, June 1, AFP learned from a source close to the file.
In late April, the NRL and the presidents of the Top 14 and Pro D2 clubs agreed on the end of the season for the two professional rugby divisions, frozen since mid-March due to the coronavirus pandemic.
It is this steering committee, the administrative body of the League, which will ratify these decisions, starting with the fact that there will be neither ascents nor descents between the Top 14 and the Pro D2.
The Top 14 will therefore resume with the 1st day of the 2020-2021 season, scheduled for September 4.
Also on the agenda, a progress report on the establishment of the National Championship, a new third division desired by the president of the Federation Bernard Laporte, as well as the cancellation of the semi-finals, initially scheduled in Nice during the course June. The League has promised to return to the Côte d'Azur "during a next edition".
Finally, this steering committee will discuss the European Cups, in particular the eight places (instead of six) that could be given to French clubs, as well as the preparation of the 2020-2021 season.
In addition, as revealed by AFP, the LNR is invited to a meeting in mid-June with World Rugby to discuss the development of a global and harmonized calendar.
A few weeks ago, the English and French leagues had written to the governing body of world rugby asking to be involved in the decision-making process.
© 2020 AFP