Wakefield's Betfred Super League fixture with Leeds on Friday has become the latest fixture to fall victim to the coronavirus pandemic after two of their players tested positive for Covid-19.
Trinity are the third club to be badly affected by the virus after players at Hull FC and Catalans Dragons tested positive and the game at Headingley is the fifth to fall by the wayside since the resumption of the season on August 2.
The Rugby Football League say the Wakefield squad will have a further set of tests on Friday before a decision is made about their fixture against Hull FC scheduled for next Thursday.
Betfred @SuperLeague update | September 2https://t.co/U2bNZoezNi pic.twitter.com/V795FUCgSK — Rugby Football League (@TheRFL) September 2, 2020
The news is a double blow for Leeds, whose re-arranged game with Catalans Dragons in Perpignan next Monday has been called off for the second time.
As a result of the postponement, the game between Salford and Castleford, which was due to kick off at 2.30pm, will now take the Wakefield-Leeds 8.15pm slot, following on from the Hull KR-Wigan fixture at 6pm.
Friday's programme will remain as scheduled with Warrington going ahead with their match against Hull FC despite six of their players being required to self-isolate following track and trace protocols after being involved in last weekend's game against Wakefield.
Warrington's playing and coaching staff have already had a full set of negative tests this week but the six players have been told to self-isolate for 14 days, meaning they will be unavailable for both the fixture against Hull and the one against Castleford next Thursday.
A Warrington spokeman said: "Despite the withdrawn players the club are willing to put self interest aside and fulfil the fixture this Friday night for the betterment of the competition."
Karen Moorhouse, the RFL's chief regulatory officer, said: "In what are unprecedented and uniquely challenging circumstances for the sport, we should first recognise the importance of the health and wellbeing of the players and other staff, and their families, at the clubs who have been affected.
"Again, we have been forced as a sport to show our ability to move quickly to ensure we still have a programme of four attractive fixtures in the Betfred Super League – and again, we are grateful to the flexibility of the clubs involved, and of our broadcast partners, in agreeing to these changes at such short notice."
