The Rugby Football League (RFL) and clubs in the Betfred Championship, including Swinton Lions, have confirmed that this year’s Summer Bash has been cancelled.

The 2020 Betfred Championship Summer Bash was due to take place during the weekend of May 30-31, and was to be held at Bloomfield Road, the home ground of Blackpool Football Club.

The Summer Bash was scheduled to be the 27th round of Championship fixtures, with Swinton Lions, who currently sit tenth in the table, set to face Oldham Roughyeds on Sunday May 31 at 1.00pm.

Last year’s Summer Bash saw the Lions run out 40-30 winners after coming from behind to beat Rochdale Hornets on a sunny Sunday in Blackpool.

And the last time Swinton Lions met Oldham in The Summer Bash, the Lions picked up a close 24-25 win in 2016.

But with the Covid-19 pandemic putting a stop to all sporting events for the time being, the RFL and Championship sides made the joint decision to postpone the Bash after agreeing that the possibility of the event being held was unrealistic.

The decision has been made early in the best interests of clubs, fans, players and shareholders, and other options are being considered on whether The Summer Bash, or something similar, could happen further down the line.

These options include the possibility of clubs playing a round of fixtures at one stadium later on in the year, whether that be in the Championship and/or Betfred League One – or as part of the AB Sundecks 1895 Cup.

The RFL will be contacting fans who have bought tickets for Blackpool’s Summer Bash, and supporters will be eligible for credit for a ticket for another major Rugby League event this year or next, including the Rugby League World Cup.

Refunds can also be arranged, and supporters are advised to contact their clubs to receive one, with more details here.

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *