RFL’s Ralph Rimmer hopes Ashes tour will survive but concedes ‘stress’

THE Rugby Football League is battling to preserve the Ashes Series and has changed its rules on insolvency in a bid to keep clubs afloat during the shutdown.

The decision by Australia’s National Rugby League to suspend its domestic season indefinitely due to the global coronavirus pandemic increases the likelihood that the eagerly-awaited Kangaroos tour in October and November will be cancelled.

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RFL chief executive Ralph Rimmer, who admits that would present a huge financial blow to the English game ahead of the 2021 World Cup in this country, says the NRL decision came as no surprise.

“We were expecting it,” he said. “I’ve been speaking to (NRL chief executive) Todd (Greenberg) on a regular basis so I knew what their situation was.

“Everything is inter-linked so all those things have an ability to impact on us.

“In all the scenario planning we’ve done, which has been plentiful, what’s happening on the other side of the world has been taken into consideration.”

Rimmer effectively ruled out a series against other nationalities taking the place of the first Kangaroos tour since 2003.

“I don’t think that would be feasible because, whatever restrictions apply to the Australians would similarly apply to most of the other teams willing to tour because many of those players would be enshrined within the NRL and UK competitions,” he said.

“At the moment, we’re aiming towards the Ashes. It’s hugely important to us and it’s there as an hors d’oeuvre to the World Cup in 2021.

“But nevertheless there are forces at work that are far greater at this moment in time.